Albinism vs. Leucism — What's the Difference?

Albinism is a genetic condition where there is an absence of melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes, leading to a characteristic appearance of white or pale skin and hair, and pink or light blue eyes. In contrast, leucism is characterized by a partial reduction in pigmentation, which primarily affects the skin, hair, or feathers of an individual, but unlike albinism, it does not affect eye color, leaving the eyes their natural color.

Individuals with albinism often face sensitivity to sunlight due to the lack of melanin, which provides some protection against UV radiation. This contrasts with leucism, where the partial loss of pigmentation does not typically result in increased sensitivity to sunlight. The underlying genetic causes of albinism are different from those of leucism, highlighting the distinct nature of these conditions.

Albinism is often associated with certain vision problems, including visual acuity issues and nystagmus, due to the lack of pigment in the retina. Leucism, on the other hand, does not typically result in vision problems, as the condition does not affect the pigmentation of the eyes or the retina. This highlights a significant difference in the impact of these two conditions on vision.

In albinism, the lack of pigmentation is uniform across the entire body, leading to a consistent pale appearance in all pigmented tissues. In contrast, leucism can result in patchy or uneven loss of pigmentation, leading to a more varied appearance with patches of normal coloring mixed with areas of reduced pigmentation.

In terms of occurrence, both albinism and leucism can be found across various species, including humans, mammals, birds, and reptiles. However, albinism is generally rarer than leucism and is strictly inherited, whereas leucism can occur sporadically and may not follow a clear inheritance pattern.