If you have ever had difficulty seeing anddifferentiatingcolors, you may beexperiencingacolor-blinddeficiency.Colorblindnessis most commonlya geneticallyinheriteddeficiency,but not all cases of colorblindness arethe same, and somecases could further develop over time.There are multipletypesof colorblinddeficiencies, each creating aspecificview of the color spectrumand different ratesof commonality among genders and types.Before divingintothe different types of colorblindness,it is important to know how color blindness works.
How ColorBlindness Works
The human eyeseescolor through wavelengths of light processedinthe retina.Within the retina,photoreceptors calledrods and cones are responsible for passing the informationreceived fromthe wavelengths of light to the brain.While rods aresensitiveto thewavelengths oflightresponsible for night vision, cones are responsible for color vision.There are three types ofcones – red, green, and bluecones,each withdifferentlight-sensitive pigmentsthatrespond to a specificpointofsensitivity to lightwavelengths.Ininstances ofnormal color vision, this processwould give the ability to see all colors by using the conessensitive tothethree red, green, or blue wavelengths of light at the right point of sensitivity. Colorblindnesswill occur when thecones fail to respond to the variationsand points of sensitivityin wavelengthsappropriately.When one or more of the cones cannot respond properly tosendthe rightmessageto the brain,we are unable to see the colors correlated to those cones.
Types of ColorBlindness
The threedifferenttypes of colorblindness are monochromatism, dichromatism, and anomaloustrichromatism.Dichromatism and anomaloustrichromatismcan be distinguished even further by three types ofmalfunctioningcones:tritanopia(bluelight),deuteranopia(greenlight), and protanopia(redlight).
Monochromatism
Monochromatism exists when no cones or just one type of cone is available.Monochromatismis also known as completecolor blindness, resulting in vision that can only utilize shades of gray, black, and white.
Dichromatism
Dichromatism refers to when only two different cone types are available toperceivecolor.In thiscase, peopleare unable to see the colors related to the missing cone.People withtritanopiadichromatismare unable to see bluecolors,whereaspeople withdeuteranopiadichromatismare unable to see greencolors,and those with protanopiadichromatismare unable to see redcolors.Red and greencolorblinddeficiencies(deuteranopiaand protanopia)are very similar, as these cones often overlap. Therefore, protanopia and deuteranopiacanoften eliminate the ability to see both red and green,showing the world in vibrant blues and yellows, as well asverysimilar browns, oranges, reds, and greens.However, when presented singularly, those who experience protanopia can see greenhuesand those dealing with deuteranopia can see redhues.
Meanwhile, each type ofdichromatismhas specific differences.A protanopia or reddeficiencymakes it easier to confuse black and red, dark browns withdark greens, oranges and reds, and some blue tones with reds, purples, and dark pinks.Deuteranopesalsoknownas green malfunctions,more likely confusedreds and greens, bright greens and yellows, pale pink colors and light grey, and reds and browns.Lastly,tritanopiaor bluedeficiency, makesit difficult to see yellow and blue colors andoftenconfuses light blues and greys, dark purples with black, and greens with blues, oranges, and reds.
Anomalous Trichromacy
In anomalous trichromacy, all three types of cones are present, however,one cone’s lightsensitivityis altered, creating areduced color spectrum.This is one of the most common types of colorblindness, as it creates an impairmentin hue differentiationof colors rather than a complete loss of colors.
With protanopiaor red deficiency,red, orange, yellow, and some yellow-green colorsareless vibrant and saturated.Similarly, deuteranopic, or decreased green conesensitivity makesit difficult todistinguishdifferent hues ofgreen,brown, orange, and red.Liketritanopiadichromatism, anomalous trichromacy can often make yellows and blues hard to differentiate. However,instead of acompleteloss of color, the vibrancy of the hues is simply altered.
Commonality of Each Type
Thedifferent types of colorblindnessall have varying degrees of commonality.Males typicallyexperienceinheritedcolorblindness at a higher rate than femalesbecause the genes that play a role in color vision are located on the X chromosome.Forwomen, both Xchromosomesmust carry the mutation to become colorblind, whereas menonly need their singular X chromosome to carry the genes.This makes it much more likely for men toexperiencecolor blindnessthan women.Aside from gendercommonalities, each type ofcolorblindnessholds its own degree ofcommonality.
Monochromatism, or completecolorblindness,is therarestformofcolorblindnessas it relates to theabsenceof all three cones.Like their similar properties, dichromatism and anomalous trichromacy have very similar variances. Within the three types of these two impairments, protanopia and deuteranopia have the mostprevalentdeficiencylevels,whereastritanopia israrer.
Whileinheritedcolorblindnessis the most common diagnosis of color blindness, factors such as chronic illnesses, accidents,chemical exposure, and medicationscan also impact the ability to see color.
What Type of Color BlindAm I?
If you have a vision impairment and are wondering what type of color blindness you may have,an eye exam with youroptometristcan certainly provide the answersyouare looking for, buttaking acolor blindtest online is a quick and easy way to determine which kind ofimpairmentyou areexperiencing.Online tests provide the same expertise and professionalism as a trip to theoptometristwithout theinconvenienceof making time for an appointment.
Monochromatism, dichromatism, and anomaloustrichromatism arethe three types of colorblindness.Thesecan be further broken up intotritanopia, deuteranopia, and protanopia to determine which colors and hues are notvisiblebased on the cones present in the retina.Colorblindnessholdsvaryingdegreesofimpairmentthat can create minimal to drastic disruptions in daily life. Thankfully, some of the most drastic cases such asmonochromatism arerather rare.
