what is albinism
Albinism (AL-bi-niz-im) is a disorder that occurs when a person inherits various genes * that are defective in their ability to make the pigment melanin (MEL-a-nin). Melanin is the main substance that determines a person's skin, hair, and eye color. In the United States, albinism affects approximately 1 in 17,000 people. * genes are chemicals in the body that help determine a person's characteristics, such as hair or eye color.