albino
n. countablen. a person or animal born with very white skin, hair, and pale eyes because their body lacks color. This happens because they cannot produce a natural substance called melanin.
n. an organism exhibiting a congenital absence of pigment in the skin and hair, and often the eyes, due to a lack of melanin production.
The zoo has a rare albino alligator.
Because an albino animal lacks natural camouflage, it often faces greater risks from predators in the wild.
The genetic mutation that results in an albino individual affects the synthesis of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for the first step of melanin production.
Borrowed from Portuguese albino and Spanish albino. * Portuguese albino is from Medieval Latin albinus, from Latin albus * Spanish albino is diminutive of albo, from Latin albus (“white”).
While used as a noun, it is also frequently used as an adjective to describe animals or plants.