Yes, two parents who appear to be "normal" (meaning they don't outwardly exhibit albinism) can have a child with albinism.
Understanding Albinism Inheritance
Albinism is a genetic condition. It's caused by a recessive gene. This means a person needs to inherit two copies of the albinism gene—one from each parent—to have the condition. If a person inherits only one copy, they are a carrier and don't show symptoms of albinism themselves but can pass the gene on to their children.
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Carrier Parents: If both parents are carriers of the albinism gene (without displaying albinism), there's a 25% (or one in four) chance their child will inherit two copies of the gene and be born with albinism. There's a 50% chance the child will be a carrier, and a 25% chance the child will not inherit the gene at all.
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Punnett Square Example: A simple Punnett square can illustrate this. Let 'A' represent the normal gene and 'a' represent the albinism gene. If both parents are carriers (Aa), the possible combinations for their child are: AA (no albinism), Aa (carrier), Aa (carrier), and aa (albinism).
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Types of Albinism: It's important to note that there are different types of albinism, each with varying degrees of severity and inheritance patterns. The probability of a child inheriting albinism depends on the specific type and the genetic makeup of the parents.
The reference states: "For a child to be born with oculocutaneous albinism, both parents must carry an albinism gene. The likelihood that the child will be born with albinism is one in four." This perfectly demonstrates the possibility of seemingly "normal" parents having an albino child.
