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albino |
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albino (ălbī`nō) [Port.,=white], animal or plant lacking normal pigmentation. The absence of pigment is observed in the body covering (skin, hair, and feathers) and in the iris of the eye. The blood vessels of the retina show through the iris, giving it a pink or reddish color, and the eyes are highly sensitive to light. Albinism is inherited as a Mendelian recessive character (see Mendel Mendel, Gregor Johann , 1822–84, Austrian monk noted for his experimental work on heredity. He entered the Augustinian monastery in Brno in 1843, taught at a local secondary school, and carried out independent scientific investigations on garden peas and other
..... Click the link for more information. ; genetics genetics, scientific study of the mechanism of heredity. While Gregor Mendel first presented his findings on the statistical laws governing the transmission of certain traits from generation to generation in 1856, it was not until the discovery and detailed study of ..... Click the link for more information. ) in humans and other animals. Through experimental breeding, races of albinos have been established among some domestic animals, e.g., mice, rabbits, pigeons, and chickens. Albino animals are sometimes held sacred, for example, white elephants in Thailand and white cattle in India. The presence of an excess of black pigment is called melanism. albino 1. a person with congenital absence of pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair 2. any animal or plant that is deficient in pigment albino [al′bī·nō] (biology) A human or animal with a congenital deficiency of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. (botany) An abnormal plant with colorless chromatophores. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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