Colour Blindness Its Impact on Daily Life

Colour blindness, or colour vision deficiency, is a fascinating condition rooted in the biology of the eye and its interaction with light. This condition can impact daily life in various ways, depending on its severity and type.

- Dr. Hareesh

Colour blindness, also known as colour vision deficiency, is a condition that affects the way a person perceives colours. While it doesn’t result in complete blindness, it does cause difficulties in distinguishing between certain colours.

How the eye perceives Colour

The human eye detects colour through specialized cells in the retina called photoreceptors. There are two main types of photoreceptors:

Rods: These are responsible for vision in low light conditions and do not detect colour.

Cones: These are responsible for colour vision and function best in bright light. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to different wavelengths of light, corresponding to the primary colours of vision: S-cones (Shortwavelength): Sensitive to blue light. M-cones (Medium-wavelength): Sensitive to green light. L-cones (Long-wavelength): Sensitive to red light.

When light enters the eye, it stimulates these cones in various combinations, sending signals to the brain that are interpreted as different colours. For example, if red and green cones are both stimulated, the brain perceives yellow.

Causes of Colour blindness

Colour blindness is primarily a genetic condition passed down through families. It occurs due to abnormalities in the photoreceptors in the retina, known as cones, which are responsible for detecting colour. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to different wavelengths of light: red, green, and blue. When one or more of these cones don’t function properly, it leads to colour blindness.

Most cases of colour blindness are inherited and linked to the X chromosome. Since men have only one X chromosome, they are more likely to be colour blind if they inherit the defective gene. Women, who have two X chromosomes, are less likely to be colour blind, as they would need to inherit the defective gene from both parents.