Alexandria syndrome and violet eyes: does it exist?

You may not have heard much about the Alexandria syndrome, also known as Alexandria Genesis, a strange condition that is attributed the ability to cause the person to develop purple eyes, among other symptoms.

Violet eyes are surely very attractive, but the people who would have them because of this syndrome, in addition, they present very strange biological characteristics, supposedly due to a mutation. The truth is that there is very little information about this medical condition, so it seems more like a myth. In this article we will talk on the characteristics of the Alexandria syndrome and on whether or not it is credible.

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What is Alexandria syndrome?

Theoretically, Alexandria syndrome is the result of a genetic mutation that turns people into human beings with extraordinary qualities.

As a consequence of this mutation, the eyes would turn violet, the skin extremely light (which curiously, it does not burn with sun exposure) and the hair turns dark brown, although they do not have hair bodily. The funny thing is that

these people are attributed unique abilities, since women do not have a menstrual cycle but they can have children, their immune systems are insurmountable, their shapely bodies never gain weight and on top of that they look 5 or 10 less.

Certainly, this story does not seem very true, but it seems less true when one learns that the life expectancy of these people would be 120-150 years. And is that much of the myths about this phenomenon have to do with its evolution.

How does this supposed condition develop?

Apparently people with Alexandria syndrome they are born with blue eyes, but after a while (six months) and due to the genetic mutation, they transform into violets. This condition usually occurs, especially in Caucasian people. During puberty, the tone becomes darker. But the color of the eyes, while it can be striking, is not the most disturbing thing in this story. For example, that despite the pale tonality of the skin, these people do not burn in the sun.

In addition, it turns out that thanks to a genetic mutation aging would stop around the age of 50, and supposedly it is not after 100 years of age that these individuals begin to look like people greater.

What is the origin of this peculiar phenomenon?

The name of this disorder appears in the 14th century in Northern Europe. As the story goes, the term originated due to the case of Alexandria Agustín, a woman who was born in London in 1329. At the time of her birth, little Alexandria had blue eyes, but little by little the color changed to purple. A priest of the time claimed that this strange case was not the work of the devil (thank goodness), but that he had knowledge of a similar case from Egypt, and Alexandria would have all the symptoms above described.

This story that could seem more like a topic related to superstition and fears about witchcraft that is still alive today. Some defenders of the existence of this syndrome believe that American actress Elizabeth Taylor had this disorder. It turns out that Taylor had dark blue eyes, and depending on how the light falls on them they looked purple.

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A case similar to the "butterfly children"?

To reinforce their claims, many people argue that there are mutations that produce the opposite effect, that is, that children age quickly: it is what is known as the “butterfly children”, who are characterized by having fragile skin and their life expectancy is shortened by 30-40 years. Actually, this hereditary disease with a poor prognosis is called epidermolysis bullosa and it is very serious.

The most severe form of this disorder known as dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and is caused by mutations in the gene responsible for collagen VII, a protein whose function is to give firmness and integrity to different tissues of the body, including the skin. The case of this disease is known and has been confirmed by science. Since there is a mutation that causes premature aging and a shorter lifespan, advocates of the Alexandria syndrome argue that it is quite reasonable to expect a mutation with the effects opposites.

Alexandria syndrome: is it real or not?

Although this last statement may have some logic, the symptoms of this supposed disorder are too bizarre to be even possible, much less credible.

There are things that do not fit. For example, no matter how much a genetic mutation was present, there is nothing that can explain that women with Alexandria syndrome can have children without having menstruation. Although there are animals that can, it would take much more than a single mutation to rearrange genes in humans in order to do so.

Also, according to the records that exist, longevity record in humans is at 122 years. Therefore, the claim that people with the Alexandrian Genesis can live to be 150 years old is unfounded. Everything in this story is without foundation. So we can affirm that the Alexandria syndrome does not exist.