How many albino people are in the world

Sunglasses are mandatory, even for babies with albinism," he said. Speaking on the "reverse connection of eye nerves to brain," Ozorman said eye nerves managed by melanin cannot properly connect to the brain due to melanin deficiency. Nerve connections from the eye to the visual region of the brain are different, so the unusual nerve signals prevent the eye from functioning and perceiving in harmony.

Under normal lighting, the iris looks reddish or violet. The use of sunscreen is mandatory, otherwise sunburn may occur," he said. He explained that sunburn is skin damage caused by ultraviolet light from sun rays that cannot be seen by the human eye.

The only way to avoid it is to use a protective sunscreen with a dermatological feature regularly, even on cloudy days," he added. This inevitably complicates socialization," he said. Ozorman said that those problems could be eliminated by raising awareness in society and not considering albinism "differently. As an NGO, the Albinism Association aims to raise awareness of albinism in Turkey and improve the quality of life for albinos and their families, he said. And the second goal is to support all albino individuals living in our country.

Improving their social rights is of great importance. To raise awareness for June 13, the group organizes various works in three cities across Turkey by opening booths, organizing mass dinners, arranging marches, and distributing press releases. Affected individuals typically have very fair skin and white or light-colored hair.

Long-term sun exposure greatly increases the risk of skin damage and skin cancers, including an aggressive form of skin cancer called melanoma , in people with this condition. Oculocutaneous albinism also reduces pigmentation of the colored part of the eye the iris and the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye the retina. People with this condition usually have vision problems such as reduced sharpness; rapid, involuntary eye movements nystagmus ; and increased sensitivity to light photophobia.

Researchers have identified multiple types of oculocutaneous albinism, which are distinguished by their specific skin, hair, and eye color changes and by their genetic cause.

Oculocutaneous albinism type 1 is characterized by white hair, very pale skin, and light-colored irises. Type 2 is typically less severe than type 1; the skin is usually a creamy white color and hair may be light yellow, blond, or light brown. Type 3 includes a form of albinism called rufous oculocutaneous albinism, which usually affects dark-skinned people.

Affected individuals have reddish-brown skin, ginger or red hair, and hazel or brown irises. Type 3 is often associated with milder vision abnormalities than the other forms of oculocutaneous albinism. Type 4 has signs and symptoms similar to those seen with type 2. Several additional types of this disorder have been proposed, each affecting one or a few families. Overall, an estimated 1 in 20, people worldwide are born with oculocutaneous albinism.

The condition affects people in many ethnic groups and geographical regions. Types 1 and 2 are the most common forms of this condition; types 3 and 4 are less common. Type 3, specifically rufous oculocutaneous albinism, has been described primarily in people from southern Africa. Studies suggest that type 4 occurs more frequently in the Japanese and Korean populations than in people from other parts of the world.

Mutations in additional genes likely underlie the other forms of this disorder. The genes associated with oculocutaneous albinism are involved in producing a pigment called melanin , which is the substance that gives skin , hair, and eyes their color. One key concern for people with albinism is the delicacy of fair skin. Melanin, a pigment found in hair and skin, protects skin against ultraviolet light , and people with albinism have to be wary of sunburns and skin cancer.

Related: 5 facts about skin cancer. It would be interesting to think about how perception of race might change if everyone had albinism. So if everyone had albinism, what would happen? One scientist interviewed for this story thought this factor alone made it extremely unlikely that populations with albinism would survive over time. But it's not a death sentence. If everyone had albinism, people around the world might adopt long garments to protect their skin, like desert peoples in the Sahara , and hats, scarves or veils to protect their heads and faces.

They might also rely on protective coatings on their skin to serve as sunscreens. The women of the Himba people in Namibia regularly wear an orange or red paste known as otjize that is made of butterfat and ochre, and often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub. Although Himba women use otjize for aesthetic reasons, I can imagine a population with albinism could conceivably create a similar paste to serve as sunscreen.

In addition, "I can imagine cultures probably evolving to do more daily activities outside the peak hours of sunlight — more in the early morning and late afternoon," Thompson said. Those with albinism might prefer to make their homes in shady environments and less sunny latitudes — think Norway, not Arizona. But "I do think there are parts of the world that would just be inhospitably sunny for people to even consider living there if everyone had albinism, like certain parts of the Middle East and American Southwest.

Still, I do know people with albinism living in Southern California and loving it. People with albinism have vision problems because structures within the eye rely on melanin as they develop in the womb.

It's not that things look blurry, but it's like the difference between a high-definition TV and a TV from the '80s. People with albinism can also have photophobia, or be more sensitive to glare from light. Related: What if humans had visual acuity?

These vision problems might lead one to expect that preindustrial societies in a hypothetical past where everyone had albinism would have extraordinary difficulty surviving. With albinism, an advantage we have is that we haven't lost anything with vision — this is all we've ever known.