Albinism

Congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) is a condition in which one or both optic nerves are not fully developed, giving the appearance of abnormally small, pale optic nerve heads upon fundus examination (AAPOS, n.d.). In comparison to the size of the disc, the retinal blood vessels appear larger than normal, when in actuality the vasculature is of normal caliber (Kaur et al, 2013). This non-progressive developmental abnormality is typically characterized by a combination of neurological,…

Did you ever consider animals as your hero? Without any recognition, animals have given us longer and healthier lives than ever before. Biomedical research refers to research that “is conducted to increase fundamental knowledge and understanding of the physical, chemical and functional mechanisms of human life processes and diseases.”(1) Nearly every medicine, medical device, surgical procedure and therapy we have today has depended on animal testing and biomedical research. Although there are…

Some environmentalists write stories of the complexity of the environment without mention of human experience, while other writers take an inward approach to evaluate the change of nature throughout human history. David Quammen’s Wild Thoughts from Wild Places is a compilation of personal accounts that addresses different natural phenomena and looks deeper into the environmental and social justice behind human involvement in the natural world. In Wild Thoughts from Wild Places, Quammen points…

Seven (58.3%) cases had infantile motor nystagmus and 5 patients (41.7%) had sensory problems including optic nerve hypoplasia (n=3) and macular hypoplasia secondary to oculocutaneous albinism (n=2). Mean spherical refractive error before and after surgery was -2.16 ± 1.36 and -0.1 ± 0.35, respectively, mean spherical equivalent was -2.82 ± 1.65 and -0.26 ± 0.25, and mean astigmatism before and after surgery was -1.33 ± 1.14 and -0.31…

Lennox was born on June 16, 2014. He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz. He lives in Tallahassee with his mother and sister. He was born at 39 weeks gestation. He had the diagnosis of albinism and nystagmus. He is now a physically healthy young boy. He attends Bud Bell Early Learning Center five days a week. He receives monthly services from a vision coach. Vision coach uses the Oregon Assessment and reports he scored at or slightly above his age level on all measures. He has seen his physician for well-baby…

It is hypothesized that motor proteins, dynein and kinesin control the transport of melanosomes into melanocyte dendrites as it is the net sum of cytoskeletal forces on an organelle that regulate intracellular transport. Dynein typically walk towards the minus-end of a microtubule in retrograde transport while kinesin move towards the plus-end in anterograde transport in neurons. The purpose of the article was to determine the role and effect of cytoplasmic dynein in melanosome transport in…

This gene regulates the distribution of melanin, a dark-colored pigment, within the hair shafts of felines. Melanism, the opposite of albinism, is a condition characterized by the induced, excessive development of melanin within the outer coverings of an organism, resulting in a darkened appearance and black or brown colored extremities. The effected organism still possesses the typical…

A commonly held assumption is that children are bound to be very similar to their parents. While there is some truth in this, scientific research shows that genetic considerations do not entirely determine outcomes for individual development. From week 4 all the way to week 6 we have been reading different articles in regards to the different levels of contributions and influences that nature and nurturing have on individual development. Comprehensive clinical studies show that adverse…

ventures in the world; hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been captured and slaughtered for their organs, and their bodies are either thrown away in the garbage or left in an alley to rot. Some countries in Africa persecute people with albinism – a disorder where the body has little to no melanin. Albinos are killed and dismembered for their organs and sold, for some believe that their organs hold special powers that cure disease. The short number of viable human organs for those…

People are making choices daily and not realizing that they will have an impact on others. Many of the impacts will prompt negative effects because of humans immediate pleasure self-seeking desires. A swiftly growing world with a society that is lacking empathy and emotions towards one another. With simple honest principles society can begin a transformation of humankind as described in Erin Murphy’s “White Lies,” Maya Angelou’s “Momma, the Dentist, and Me,” and Gita Mehta’s “The Famine of…