Color blindness occurs when one or more types of cone cells in the retina don’t function properly. There are several main types:
- Deuteranomaly: reduced green sensitivity (most common)
- Protanomaly: reduced red sensitivity
- Tritanomaly: reduced blue sensitivity
- Complete color blindness (very rare)
Color blindness affects approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females. The higher prevalence in males is because the genes for red and green color vision are carried on the X chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, they’re more likely to express these genetic variations. People with color blindness often develop adaptive strategies, like learning traffic light positions or using color-identifying apps.