Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A person with albinism. The term was first applied by the Portuguese to people in West Africa, who may have had partial or complete albinism.

An hereditary disorder characterized by deficiency of the pigment melanin in the eyes, skin and hair. The lack of eye pigment causes photophobia (sensitivity to light), nystagmus, and decreased visual acuity. Oculocutaneous albinism is conventionally classified as to whether it is tyrosinase-negative or tyrosinase-positive. In the tyrosinase-negative class, there is absence of the enzyme tyrosinase. In the tyrosinase-positive class,…

A group of genetic diseases characterized by a deficiency of pigment in the skin and eye, a bleeding tendency resulting from a platelet storage pool deficiency, and systemic disorders related to deficient function of lysosomes. Abbreviated HPS. Albinism that occurs in the eyes results in significant reduction in visual acuity. Pulmonary fibrosis and granulomatous colitis are known complications. The…

A group of genetic disorders in which there is partial or total lack of the pigment melanin in the eyes, skin, and hair.

(1906-93) Pioneering researcher on viruses and viral diseases who developed the oral live-virus vaccine against polio. Sabin’s vaccine came to be preferred over the alternative killed-virus vaccine developed by his bitter rival Dr. Jonas Salk. The Sabin vaccine contains harmless attenuated polio virus. Dr. Sabin first showed that polio virus could grow in human nerve tissue outside the human body. Through…

Prefix from the Latin “albus” meaning “white.” As in albino and albinism. The term “albino” was first applied by the Portuguese to “white” people they encountered in West Africa. Those “white” people probably had partial or complete albinism, an inherited lack of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes.

A relatively rare form of headache in which the patient is awakened from sleep at the same time every night, usually between 1 and 3 o’clock, with intense dull or throbbing pain over the whole head. Each episode may last up to 1 hour and be associated with nausea. Similar episodes may occasionally strike in the daytime. The disorder almost always affects…

An enzyme that is normally present in liver and heart cells. ALT is released into blood when the liver or heart is damaged. The blood ALT levels are thus elevated with liver damage (for example, from viral hepatitis) or with an insult to the heart (for example, from a heart attack). Some medications can also raise ALT levels. ALT is also…

An amino acid, one of the 20 building blocks of protein. It is not essential to the diet, as it can be made by the body from other substances. Alanine was discovered in protein in 1875. Symbol: Ala.

Also known as arteriohepatic dysplasia, this is a genetic disorder characterized by jaundice in the newborn period, liver disease with cholestasis, peripheral pulmonic stenosis and unusual face. Children with Alagille syndrome usually present with jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) in the newborn period. Cholestasis (stagnant flow of bile from the liver) then develops with puritis (itching), stools without the usual yellowing brown color, and…