What kind of color blindness

We perceive color as it hits the back of the retina. The retina is lined with millions of cells known as rods and cones that take the colors reflected off of objects as light-sensitive signals and relay those signals to our brains via the optic nerve and pathway. Our brain does the heavy lifting in recognizing that specific signals from specific reflections are a certain type of color. Rod cells are sensitive to different levels of light, while cone cells are more sensitive to differing colors.

Humans generally have three types of cone cells that are able to discern different colors and shades. It affects 1 in 12 men throughout their life and is much rarer in women, where only 1 in will have some kind of color deficiency. There are a few different types of color deficiency that can be separated into three different categories: red-green color blindness, blue-yellow color blindness, and the much more rare complete color blindness.

Scientifically known as monochromacy, complete color blindness is much rarer than the two categories above. In other forms of color deficiencies, one perceives colors differently but can still perceive colors as… well, colors! In monochromacy, the rods and cones in your retina have some form of defect. There are different subtypes of monochromacy that are affected by different rod and cone cells taking on abnormal shapes or not being present at all.

For these unfortunate people, their visual acuity leaves most legally blind. The above list shows you the prevalence rates of each type of color vision deficiency.

The ratios between the most frequently occurring types for men can simply be remembered as: 1 protanope to 1 protanomalous trichromat to 1 deuteranope to 5 deteranomalous trichromats. We already learned in the last chapter of Color Blind Essentials : What is color blindness?

We learned now a lot about the different types and categories of color vision deficiencies. But what does it really look like if you are colorblind? How do you see the world if you are colorblind? The four pictures below should give you a first impression. The same is of course true for blue-yellow color blindness tritanopia.

This is based on the fact, that all colors are perceived as a mixture of the three different cone types, and if one of them is missing the whole color spectrum changes.

The simulation below shows how the color spectrum changes. The shown lines are just meant as guides. Any line which ends in the so-called copunctal point connects the colors of confusion for a certain type of color vision deficiency.

A more severe color blindness simply results in thicker and longer confusion bands. Deutan Lines. Tritan Lines. Simply put you can say, color blind people see the world like people with normal color vision see it at dusk or dawn. Trichromats, Dichromats, Monochromats are terms used in the vision science community to refer to different possible configurations of the human visual system having three tri- , di two or one mono channel of color information.

Most cases of color blindness are considered anomalous trichromacy which means they are effectively operating at somewhere between trichromat normal color vision with 3 channels and dichromat 2 channels. The EnChroma Color Blind Test is specifically designed to determine your type of red-green color blindness deutan or protan and level: mild deutan or protan, moderate deutan or protan, or strong deutan or protan. However there are limits to what can be tested with a self-administered online test.

If you believe that you may have a color vision deficiency, EnChroma recommends getting a complete eye exam by a qualified eye care professional. About Normal Color Vision. A person with normal color vision can typically perceive up to 1 million different shades of colors.

Normal color-sighted individuals are Trichromats, meaning that they have three different color sensitive cones in their retina: red, green, and blue. Each of these red, blue, and green cones are sensitive to different wavelengths of light and help to create color perception.

The unique separation and overlap work together to enable those with normal color vision to see all the colors of the spectrum. For more general information about color blindness and the science behind it, go to our What Is Color Blindness page.

Stay updated on new frames, events, and more. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Terms of Use. Sign In Retailers. Types of Color Blindness Color blindness also spelled colour blindness or color vision deficiency CVD includes a wide range of causes and conditions and is actually quite complex.

Monochromacy and Achromatopsia Monochromacy and Achromatopsia describes a range of conditions that include rod-Monochromacy, S-cone Monochromacy and Achromatopsia.