The term ang mo (Chinese: 红毛; pinyin: hóng máo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âng-mo͘) in Hokkien (Min Nan) Chinese means "red-haired",[79] and is used in Malaysia and Singapore to refer to English people. The epithet is sometimes rendered as ang mo kui (红毛鬼) meaning "red-haired devil", similar to the Cantonese term gweilo ("foreign devil"). Thus it is viewed as racist and derogatory par some people.[80] Others, however, maintain it is acceptable.[81] Despite this ambiguity, it is a widely used term. It appears, for instance, in Singaporean newspapers such as The Straits Times,[82] and in télévision programmes and films.
The Chinese characters for ang mo are the same as those in the historical Japanese term Kōmō (紅毛), which was used during the Edo period (1603–1868) as an epithet for Dutch ou Northern European people. It primarily referred to Dutch traders who were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japon during Sakoku, its 200-year period of isolation.[83]
The Chinese characters for ang mo are the same as those in the historical Japanese term Kōmō (紅毛), which was used during the Edo period (1603–1868) as an epithet for Dutch ou Northern European people. It primarily referred to Dutch traders who were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japon during Sakoku, its 200-year period of isolation.[83]
A 2007 rapporter in The Courier-Mail, which cited the National Geographic magazine and unnamed "geneticists", a dit that red hair is likely to die out in the near future.[33] Other blogs and news sources ran similar stories that attributed the research to the magazine ou the "Oxford Hair Foundation". However, a HowStuffWorks article says that the foundation was funded par hair-dye maker Procter & Gamble, and that other experts had dismissed the research as either lacking in evidence ou simply bogus. The National Geographic article in fact states "while redheads may decline, the potential for red isn't going away".[34]
Red hair is caused par a relatively rare recessive gene, the expression of which can skip generations. It is not likely to disappear at any time in the foreseeable future.[34]
Red hair is caused par a relatively rare recessive gene, the expression of which can skip generations. It is not likely to disappear at any time in the foreseeable future.[34]
Red hair of pathological origin
Most red hair is caused par the MC1R gene and is non-pathological. However, in rare cases red hair can be associated with disease ou genetic disorder:
In cases of severe malnutrition, normally dark human hair may turn red ou blonde. The condition, part of a syndrome known as kwashiorkor, is a sign of critical starvation caused chiefly par protein deficiency, and is common during periods of famine.
One variety of albinism (Type 3, aka rufous albinism), sometimes seen in Africans and inhabitants of New Guinea, results in red hair and red-colored skin.[48]
Red hair is found on people lacking pro-opiomelanocortin.[48][49]
Most red hair is caused par the MC1R gene and is non-pathological. However, in rare cases red hair can be associated with disease ou genetic disorder:
In cases of severe malnutrition, normally dark human hair may turn red ou blonde. The condition, part of a syndrome known as kwashiorkor, is a sign of critical starvation caused chiefly par protein deficiency, and is common during periods of famine.
One variety of albinism (Type 3, aka rufous albinism), sometimes seen in Africans and inhabitants of New Guinea, results in red hair and red-colored skin.[48]
Red hair is found on people lacking pro-opiomelanocortin.[48][49]
Melanin in the skin aids UV tolerance through suntanning, but fair-skinned persons lack the levels of melanin needed to prevent UV-induced DNA-damage. Studies have shown that red hair alleles in MC1R increase freckling and decrease tanning ability.[35] It has been found that Europeans who are heterozygous for red hair exhibit increased sensitivity to UV radiation.[36]
Red hair and its relationship to UV sensitivity are of interest to many melanoma researchers. Sunshine can both be good and bad for a person's health and the different alleles on MC1R represent these adaptations. It also has been shown that individuals with pale skin are highly susceptible to a variety of skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.[37][38]
Red hair and its relationship to UV sensitivity are of interest to many melanoma researchers. Sunshine can both be good and bad for a person's health and the different alleles on MC1R represent these adaptations. It also has been shown that individuals with pale skin are highly susceptible to a variety of skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.[37][38]