›› Color Blind
Color blindness is a
genetic condition that results in difficulty distinguishing certain
colors from others, and sometimes a complete inability to see certain
colors the way they would appear to everyone else. Since it
is passed along in genes, it is present at birth and is
incurable. It is much more common in men than it is in women,
and some studies suggest that as many as one in twelve men are color
blind.
The reason it is seen primarily in men is because the gene that codes
for colorblindness is carried on the X chromosome. Since men
only have one X chromosome, if they inherit an X chromosome coded with
some kind of colorblindness they will be affected with the
disorder. Women need to inherit two affected X chromosomes in
order to display the disorder, and it is therefore extremely rare to
see women who are color blind. Women with one affected X
chromosome have normal vision, but they act as the
‘carriers’ for the trait, passing on the disorder
to 50 percent of their male children. A male affected with
color blindness will not pass on the disorder to any of his sons, but
all of his daughters will be carriers for the trait.
One extremely common
misconception is the belief that color blind people can’t see
any colors whatsoever. The term color blind is something of a
misnomer. Most forms of color blindness would be more
accurately described as ‘color
deficiencies’. Though there is such a form of color
blindness that results in a complete inability to see any color, called
monochromasy, it is extremely rare. More common versions of
the disorder reduce the affected individuals ability to distinguish
between two colors. The most common form is called
deuteranopia and is a loss in the ability to distinguish reds and
greens. Tritanopia, another common form of color blindness,
is a deficiency in distinguishing blue and yellow.
Color blindness
comes in varying degrees of severity as well. Only in the
most severe cases is the ability to distinguish certain colors
completely lost; usually people only have trouble with certain shades
of the color. Because it can sometimes be very mild, it can
actually be hard to determine if you are color blind or not.
One popular test, called Ishihara plates, is often used to help
diagnose the disorder. Many samples of Ishihara plates are
available today online, as well as a multitude of other resources to
help people determine if they are color blind or not.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
