Color Blindness

Color blindness, also known as color vision deficiency, is the inability or reduced ability to see color, or identify color differences under lighting conditions when color vision isn't weakened. Many of the genes involved in color vision are on the X chromosome, making color blindness more common in males than in females because males have only one X chromosome, while females have two. Because this is an X-linked trait, an estimated two to three percent of women have a fourth color cone and can be considered tetrachromats, organisms with tetrachromacy.

Color blindness can be genetically passed on from the changes, or mutations, in the X chromosome or acquired sometime during an individual's lifetime. Some inherited diseases are known to cause color blindness such as achromatopsia, blue cone monochromatism, retinitis pigmentosa, and so on. This deficiency can be developed from brain or retinal damage from accidents and other traumatic events which create swelling of the brain and damage to the retina caused by exposure to infrared light.

The symptoms of color blindness may differ from person to person. However, they may include: trouble seeing colors and the brightness of colors in their normal way, the lack of ability to tell the difference between shades of the same or similar colors, and rapid eye movement.

So far, there is no known cure for this deficiency. However, certain kinds of shaded filters and contact lenses may benefit an individual by differentiating unlike colors better. Wearing glasses that block glare may also help make up for a color vision problem. People with color vision problems can see differences between colors better when there is less amount of glare and brightness.

There are three main types of color vision deficiency. Those types are: protan, deutan, and tritan defects. They are Greek terms which mean first, second, and third. Protanomaly, deuteranomaly, and tritanomaly are types of unusual trichromacy. That means you have three different color receptors, or cones, like people with ordinary color vision but one of them is moved in its top.

There are quite a few famous people who obtain this deficiency such as Mr. Rogers, Bing Cosby, and Matt Lauer. Also does Emerson Moser, Crayola's senior-most crayon maker. In the 37 years of employment, he did not know that he was color blind until his retirement. He had made 1.4 billion crayons without knowing what colors he was making.

Studies show that color blindness can cause "racial harmony". This is because color blind people can't tell apart or can hardly tell apart skin color which makes them to ignore races. Mark Benn, a psychologist and adjunct professor at Colorado State University, says, "It benefits me not to pay attention. I never have to question whether or not my race is being held in question when I apply for a job. It benefits me not to question that (because) it makes it look like