Color Blindness
By: Nick Spotti
First discovered/recognized
This disorder was discovered in 1794 by John Dalton.
Its the inability or decreased ability to see color, or perceive color differences, under normal lighting. There is no actual blindness.
This diagnosis is shown to be compatible with the history of Johns phenotype, even though it goes against Thomas Young's belief that Dalton was a protanope.
Symptoms, Side Effects, or Harm the Disorder causes the Human Body
People who have color blindness are not aware of the differences in color that people who don't have this can easily tell. People that don't have someone colorblindness sometimes don't even know until tested. Most of them are able to see but unable to full 'see' red, green, or blue light. People with red/green colorblindness can identify only 5 or so colored pencils accurately from a 24 pencil crayons box. Black can be confused with dark green r dark blue. They mix up colors as red or green as part of the whole color. John Dalton for instance confused scarlet with green and pink with blue like his brother. When DNA was taken from his preserved eye tissue showed that he was a deuteranope, meaning that he lacked the middle wave photopigment of the retina. Thomas Young says hes a protanope.
How is this disorder inherited?
If colorblindness is inherited its by the abnormal photopigments. Located in cone-shaped cells within the retina, called conecells. For humans, we need several genes for the body to make photopigments and defects in these kind of genes can lead to colorblindness. It can be caused by the physical or chemical damage to the eye. Also by age, mainly because of cataract. Affects about 12 men (8%) and 200 women in the world. Britain there are about 2.7 million color blind people (approximately 4.5% of the entire population) which are mainly male. Mainly inherited from the mother even though some become color blind as a result of other diseases like diabetes and multiple sccerosis. Or get it over time from aging process, medication, etc.
Diagnostic Tests to Determine is an Individual has this Disease/Disorder
You can be tested in a clinic or laboratory to see if you are color blind. But sadly, there are currently no treatment for inherited colorblindness.
Any Ways to Prevent this Disorder
Scientists are in the making right now of sun glasses that let people that are color blind able to see like people that aren't colorblind.
Organizations/Support Groups in Existence to Help Individual's (Or their Families) With this Particular Genetic Disorder
Visit www.genevolove.com to help you understand colorblindness and how it can help you.