▁heter o zy g otes , ▁while ▁hom o zy g otes ▁have ▁significantly ▁lower ed ▁life ▁expect ancy . ▁Since ▁both ▁of ▁these ▁states ▁are ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁mut ated ▁gene , ▁large ▁populations ▁today ▁are ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁sick le ▁cell ▁despite ▁it ▁being ▁a ▁fit ness - imp air ing ▁gen etic ▁dis order . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁ ▁Al bin ism ▁ ▁Al bin ism ▁is ▁the ▁mut ation ▁of ▁the ▁T Y R ▁gene , ▁also ▁term ed ▁ty ros in ase . ▁This ▁mut ation ▁causes ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁form ▁of ▁al bin ism . ▁The ▁mut ation ▁al ters ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁mel an in , ▁thereby ▁affect ing ▁mel an in - related ▁and ▁other ▁dependent ▁tra its ▁throughout ▁the ▁organ ism . ▁Mel an in ▁is ▁a ▁subst ance ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁body ▁that ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁abs orb ▁light ▁and ▁provides ▁color ation ▁to ▁the ▁skin . ▁Ind ic ations ▁of ▁al bin ism ▁are ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁color ▁in ▁an ▁organ ism ' s ▁eyes , ▁hair , ▁and ▁skin , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁mel an in . ▁Some ▁forms ▁of ▁al bin ism ▁are ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁sympt oms ▁that ▁manifest ▁themselves ▁through ▁rapid - ey e ▁movement , ▁light ▁sens itivity , ▁and ▁st rab ismus . ▁ ▁Aut ism ▁and ▁sch iz op hren ia ▁▁ ▁P lei ot ropy ▁in ▁gen es ▁has ▁been ▁linked ▁between ▁certain ▁psych iat ric ▁dis orders ▁as