By: Brett Kratchman

Colorblindness is a defect of
vision affecting the ability to
distinguish colors, occurring
mostly in males. Color blindness
is caused by a defect in the
retina or in other nerve portions
of the eye. Also known as
dichromatism, this disease
consists of the inability to
differentiate between reds and
greens.
The signs and symptoms of colorblindness depend
on certain factors:
•Is the problem congenital,
acquired, partial, or
complete?
•Does the patient have
trouble distinguishing reds
and greens?
•Is the patient experiencing
reduced vision?
Color vision deficiency is
usually detected using colored
charts called the Ishihara Test
Plates. The plates consist of
gray and colored dots. The
patient is asked to identify the Vision test examples.
number in the middle of the Normal people should see 74.
circle. After the patient has Color deficient people may see
D=21.
identified what they see, more
testing may commence.
•A random pattern of gray level dots is first put together.

•A digit pattern is then added which is defined by

yellow/blue variation only. Since most people with
red/green colorblindness can see yellow/blue they will

 
be able to see the digit 5 in this test pattern.

•Another digit pattern which is defined by

red/green variation is added. Here is the pattern
composed of the random brightness pattern and                                 

the red/green pattern.                               

•Finally all three are added: People with red/green

deficiency will not be able to see the red/green pattern
and will see the 5. People with normal vision will see
both the patterns, but since the red/green is stronger
than the yellow/blue, the normal person will see the
digit 6.
Most color-blind people see

 
normally in all other aspects other
than the color of their weakened
cone. Color-blind people can usually
learn by experience to associate Weak green cone
certain colors with different
                               

sensations of brightness. Many                                

victims of the defect are unaware

that they are color-blind.

Weak red cone

Gene OPN1MW
GC0XP148439

•Start: 148,439,714 bp from

pter
•End: 148,453,078 bp from
rm a t i on)
o
pter (and inf
•Size:13,364 bases
•Orientation: plus strand
Gene OPN1LW
GC0XP147547

•Start: 147,547,307 bp from

pter
•End: 147,561,950 bp from
rm a t i on)
o
pter (and inf
•Size: 14,643 bases
•Orientation: plus strand
>ENST00000276348
ATGGCCCAGCAGTGGAGCCTCCAAAGGCTCGCAGGCCGCCATCCGC
AGGACAGCTATGAGGACAGCACCCAGTCCAGCATCTTCACCTACAC
CAACAGCAACTCCACCAGAGGCCCCTTCGAAGGCCCGAATTACCAC
ATCGCTCCCAGATGGGTGTACCACCTCACCAGTGTCTGGATGATCTT
TGTGGTCATTGCATCCGTCTTCACAAATGGGCTTGTGCTGGCGGCCA
CCATGAAGTTCAAGAAGCTGCGCCACCCGCTGAACTGGATCCTGGT
GAACCTGGCGGTCGCTGACCTGGCAGAGACCGTCATCGCCAGCACT
ATCAGCGTTGTGAACCAGGTCTATGGCTACTTCGTGCTGGGCCACC
CTATGTGTGTCCTGGAGGGCTACACCGTCTCCCTGTGTGGGATCACA
GGTCTCTGGTCTCTGGCCATCATTTCCTGGGAGAGATGGATGGTGGT
CTGCAAGCCCTTTGGCAATGTGAGATTTGATGCCAAGCTGGCCATC
GTGGGCATTGCCTTCTCCTGGATCTGGGCTGCTGTGTGGACAGCCCC
GCCCATCTTTGGTTGGAGCAGGTACTGGCCCCACGGCCTGAAGACT
TCATGCGGCCCAGACGTGTTCAGCGGCAGCTCGTACCCCGGGGTGC
AGTCTTACATGATTGTCCTCATGGTCACCTGCTGCATCACCCCACTC
AGCATCATCGTGCTCTGCTACCTCCAAGTGTGGCTGGCCATCCGAG
CGGTGGCAAAGCAGCAGAAAGAGTCTGAATCCACCCAGAAGGCAG
AGAAGGAAGTGACGCGCATGGTGGTGGTGATGGTCCTGGCATTCTG
CTTCTGCTGGGGACCATACGCCTTCTTCGCATGCTTTGCTGCTGCCA
ACCCTGGCTACCCCTTCCACCCTTTGATGGCTGCCCTGCCGGCCTTC
TTTGCCAAAAGTGCCACTATCTACAACCCCGTTATCTATGTCTTTAT
GAACCGGCAGTTTCGAAACTGCATCTTGCAGCTTTTCGGGAAGAAG
GTTGACGATGGCTCTGAACTCTCCAGCGCCTCCAAAACGGAGGTCT
CATCTGTGTCCTCGGTATCGCCTGCATGA
>ENST00000218195
ATGGCCCAGCAGTGGAGCCTCCAAAGGCTCGCAGGCCGCCATCCGC
AGGACAGCTATGAGGACAGCACCCAGTCCAGCATCTTCACCTACAC
CAACAGCAACTCCACCAGAGGCCCCTTCGAAGGCCCGAATTACCAC
ATCGCTCCCAGATGGGTGTACCACCTCACCAGTGTCTGGATGATCTT
TGTGGTCACTGCATCCGTCTTCACAAATGGGCTTGTGCTGGCGGCCA
CCATGAAGTTCAAGAAGCTGCGCCACCCGCTGAACTGGATCCTGGT
GAACCTGGCGGTCGCTGACCTAGCAGAGACCGTCATCGCCAGCACT
ATCAGCATTGTGAACCAGGTCTCTGGCTACTTCGTGCTGGGCCACCC
TATGTGTGTCCTGGAGGGCTACACCGTCTCCCTGTGTGGGATCACA
GGTCTCTGGTCTCTGGCCATCATTTCCTGGGAGAGGTGGCTGGTGGT
GTGCAAGCCCTTTGGCAATGTGAGATTTGATGCCAAGCTGGCCATC
GTGGGCATTGCCTTCTCCTGGATCTGGTCTGCTGTGTGGACAGCCCC
GCCCATCTTTGGTTGGAGCAGGTACTGGCCCCACGGCCTGAAGACT
TCATGCGGCCCAGACGTGTTCAGCGGCAGCTCGTACCCCGGGGTGC
A
GTCTTACATGATTGTCCTCATGGTCACCTGCTGCATCATCCCACTCG
CTATCATCATGCTCTGCTACCTCCAAGTGTGGCTGGCCATCCGAGCG
GTGGCAAAGCAGCAGAAAGAGTCTGAATCCACCCAGAAGGCAGAG
AAGGAAGTGACGCGCATGGTGGTGGTGATGATCTTTGCGTACTGCG
TCTGCTGGGGACCCTACACCTTCTTCGCATGCTTTGCTGCTGCCAAC
CCTGGTTACGCCTTCCACCCTTTGATGGCTGCCCTGCCGGCCTACTT
TGCCAAAAGTGCCACTATCTACAACCCCGTTATCTATGTCTTTATGA
ACCGGCAGTTTCGAAACTGCATCTTGCAGCTTTTCGGGAAGAAGGT
TGACGATGGCTCTGAACTCTCCAGCGCCTCCAAAACGGAGGTCTCA
TCTGTGTCCTCGGTATCGCCTGCATGA
 Nucleotide substitutions (missense / nonsense)

Accession
Codon Nucleotide Amino acid Phenotype
Number

CM920309 203 aTGC-CGC Cys-Arg Trichromacy, deutan

 Nucleotide substitutions (missense / nonsense)

Accession
Codon Nucleotide Amino acid Phenotype
Number

Blue cone
CM951111 203 aTGC-CGC Cys-Arg
monochromatism
ColorMax has recently introduced
a tinted lens for glasses.
ColorMax lenses are designed to
improve the vision of specific
 
colors that look the same to
people with red green color
                                                

deficiencies. However, the vision

of other colors has actually been
impaired. Other than these lenses,
there isn’t much that can be done
to cure color blindness, thus
making research obsolete.
 Rhodospin, the receptor protein in rod cells, crosses the disc
membrane seven times. Its odd shape is shared by three
receptor proteins in cone cells. Retinal (which absobs light) is
shown in purple. The other balls (yellow) represent amino
acids which make up the rhodospin structure.
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done
once diagnosed with color blindness. Color
blindness is a life long condition that can exclude
people from certain jobs such as a pilot or a job
that would include electronics. If you suspect
colorblindness, you can visit an ophthalmologist
or your health care provider. Being aware of the
disease is the best way to help someone
overcome this disease.