IB Biology Lab Format

All labs should follow this format unless otherwise stated by the teacher. They should also be
written in third personal

Title/Question – "Does gender have an effect on the incidence of red-color blindness in 11th-grade
students?"

Background – Imagine looking at a beautiful autumn landscape, with leaves with beautiful reds,
oranges, and yellows. But, imagine that suddenly all these stunning colors become brown, blending in
with their surroundings. This is what someone who has red-color blindness experiences, a condition
that, as mentioned previously, affects the ability to perceive color red correctly. While the rest of us
enjoy of the vibrant reds that nature and our surroundings can provide us, for this people it’s a world
where color red takes different tones

Color blindness, also known as color deficiency (CV), occurs when colors are unable to be seen normally,
this condition is distinguished when someone cannot discern between certain colors, commonly in reds,
greens and occasionally blues.

In the retina, there are cones and rods, two types of cells that detect light. Rods detect only light and
dark and are very sensitive to low light levels, while cone cells detect color and are concentrated near
the center of the vision. Red, green, and blue cones are the three different varieties of color-seeking
cones. These cone cells provide information to the brain that influences how we perceive color. When
one or more of the color cone cells are missing, not functioning, or sense a different color than usual,
color blindness may happen. The absence of all three cone cells results in severe color blindness. When
all three cone cells are present but one cone cell is malfunctioning, mild color blindness results. A
different color than usual is picked up by it.

Several degrees of color blindness exist. Some people with mild color blindness can see colors normally
in bright light but struggle in low light. Some are unable to tell specific colors apart in any lighting. Rarely
occurs the most extreme type of color blindness, in which everything is viewed in grayscale. In most
cases, color blindness affects both eyes equally and doesn't change over time. The most common type
of color blindness is red-color blindness, which, as its name says, makes it hard to distinguish red and
green. Red color blindness is categorized in 4 types: deuteranomaly, which makes green look more red,
protanomaly, which makes red look more green and less bright, both usually don’t interfere in daily
activities. Lastly, protanopia and deuteranopia, these last both make you unable to tell the difference
between red and green at all.

On chromosomes, which are collections of genes, diseases like color blindness are handed from parents
to their offspring.

Commonly, conditions like color blindness are passed from parents to children in the chromosomes X
and Y, males have 1 X chromosome and 1 Y chromosome, while females have 2 X chromosomes and 2 Y
chromosomes. The genes that can give you a type of color blindness, like red-green color blindness are
passed down through the X chromosome.

This way, red color blindness is more common in males than females due to:

● Males only have 1 X chromosome, from the mother. If that X chromosome carries the gene for
red-color blindness (instead of the normal X chromosome) they will have red color blindness
● Females have 2 X chromosomes, also from the mother but also from the father. To have red-
color blindness, these two chromosomes have to carry the same gene that carries it, so females
are less likely to have the condition.

If this condition is not genetically the cause, the condition may also happen if the eyes or/and the brain
gets damaged, this can be caused by eye and brain diseases, like glaucoma or macular degeneration and
Alzheimer or multiple sclerosis respectively and eye or brain injuries (may happen in accidents).

Hypothesis – Red-color blindness is more common in males than females

Variables:

• Independent: Gender (categorical nominal)

• Dependent: Normality/abnormality (Binary)

Materials:

● An Ishihara test was used for this experiment, the Ishihara test is one of the most widely used
tests to diagnose and classify color vision disorders (dyschromatopsia) commonly known as
color blindness. It consists of 38 plates made up of circles with colored dots with random sizes,
these dots usually show numbers or mazes.
Method –

1. An email with a PDF with the Ishihara test to all the classes of 11th grade was sent
2. A google form with all 38 plates numbered and the options of what they could see was created
and attached to the email.
3. The instructions they had to follow in order to obtain veridic results were also included, which
where:
● Making sure that the lightning is as similar to natural light and avoid as many reflections
as possible
● Stand 75 cm from the screen
● The test has to be done monocularly (with one eye)
● You must guess the numbers you see in each plate in less than 3 seconds
● For people who wear glasses, they must use them when they do the test
4. For this experiment, at least 30 people were needed, though I just could reach to 24 because of
time means, quantity that was achieved after 4 days.

Raw Data –
Processed Data –

Based on my variables, I used a web page that based on your variables, decides wich statistical test best
fits for the experiment. This web page yielded a Chi-squared test as a result.

Chi-squared test calculator was proceeded to be used. This is a easy chi-square calculator for a
contingency table that has up to five rows and five columns. The calculation takes three steps, allowing
you to see how the chi-square statistic is calculated.

The first stage is to enter group and category names in the textboxes below - this calculator allows up to
five groups and categories, but fewer is fine. So the results I got from the Ishihara test I made to my
classmates were entered. In this case the first row has the dependant variable, abnormalities or
normalities, and the vertical column has the independent variable, the gender.

Then, a 2 x 2 contingency table was generated. However, before the "Calculate Chi^2" button is pressed,
a significance level need to be selected. It defaults to .05, but .01 or .10 can be selected if preferred. In
this case, I chose .05 because it’s the most common.
Processed Data Presentation –

Finally, the contingency table below provides the following information: the observed cell totals, (the
expected cell totals) and [the chi-square statistic for each cell].

The chi-square statistic, p-value and statement of significance appear beneath the table. Blue means it is
dealing with dependent variables; red, independent.

The chi-square statistic is 0.2286. The p-value is .632585. The result is not significant at p < .05.
Conclusion –

The chi-square test was used to analyze the data, comparing the observed frequencies of red-color
blindness (abnormalities) in males and females. The chi-square statistic obtained was 0.2286, and the p-
value was 0.632585. The result was not statistically significant at the p < 0.05 level. These results imply
that there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that red-color blindness is more common in males
than females based on the given sample. The prevalence of red-color blindness does not appear to differ
significantly between genders within the examined population. Some of the limitations that could have
influenced the results are certain factors; such as sample size, the study faced a limitation in terms of
sample size. The desired sample size was a minimum of 30 participants, but due to time constraints, only
24 participants were included. A smaller sample size can affect the statistical power of the analysis and
may limit the generalizability of the findings. Selection bias could have been another one, the study
relied on voluntary participation, which could introduce selection bias. It's possible that individuals with
a higher or lower prevalence of red-color blindness were more likely to participate, leading to a skewed
representation of the population. And last but not least, control for other factors. The study focused
solely on the relationship between gender and red-color blindness, but it did not control for other
potential confounding factors, such as age, ethnicity, or family history. These factors could influence the
prevalence of red-color blindness and should be considered in future investigations.

Nonetheless, the flaws on the investigation could have improvements that would improve this
investigation:

● Non random sampling: The study used convenience sampling by involving classmates only. This
may introduce bias and limit the representativeness of the sample. To improve the investigation,
a more random sampling method, such as stratified random sampling, could be implemented to
ensure a more diverse and representative participant pool.
● Lack of control group: A control group consisting of individuals without red-color blindness could
have been included for comparison. This would allow for a more comprehensive analysis and
better understanding of the relationship between gender and red-color blindness.
● Standardized testing conditions: While the instructions for the Ishihara test were provided,
there could have been variations in the lighting conditions or adherence to the instructions
among the participants. Standardizing the testing conditions more rigorously, such as by using a
controlled environment and monitoring compliance, would enhance the reliability of the results.

In conclusion, based on the analysis conducted using the chi-square test, there is no significant evidence
to support the hypothesis that red-color blindness is more common in males than females within the
examined population. However, the study faced limitations such as a smaller sample size, potential
selection bias, and a lack of control for other confounding factors. To enhance future investigations,
employing random sampling methods, including a control group, and standardizing testing conditions
more rigorously would improve the reliability and generalizability of the findings.
Bibliography:

National Eye Institute. (n.d.). Color Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-

about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness

Clinicas NovoVision. (n.d.). Test de Ishihara: ¿en qué consiste y para qué sirve? [Ishihara test:
what is it and what is it for?]. Retrieved from: https://www.clinicasnovovision.com/blog/test-
ishihara/

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EnsbyjHr5FYybkYzdbtA3AqU4T3AF-
x230zaBHrNwso/edit#gid=2027972196

https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/chisquare2/default2.aspx

https://www.socscistatistics.com/tests/what_stats_test_wizard.aspx

https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/4/679/4568692?login=false