The 3 Types Of Color Blindness (and Their Characteristics)
The diagnosis of color blindness or color blindness although it is relatively easy to detect, it often goes unnoticed for many years and is only seen during casual exposure to an Ishihara test or an exam such as the typical driver’s license test.
Although it may sound strange, this is what happens in a large number of cases: we do not stop to think about how we see, we simply do it and think that our color, for example, blue, is the same as what other people perceive.
Color blindness or color blindness is a disorder of genetic origin in which the person who suffers from it does not have the same number of types of cones in their visual system or has them but they are altered.
This is because we do not have the necessary elements to capture the wave frequencies that make us capture light in the form of different colors, which is due to the sensory cells called cones.
Although most people have three types of cones (one for red, one for green and one for blue) and even four have been detected in some women (although this is very unusual), color blind people will have or three with at least one of them being altered or less.
This means that we cannot capture the wave frequency necessary to capture certain colors, perceiving the stimulation under a different wave frequency. In this way, the subject will not be able to appreciate a color and those linked to it, perceiving them as if they were others.
Color blindness can occur in different forms, depending on the type of pigments that are not available or that are altered. Specifically, there are three main types of color blindness, which are set out below
1. Achromatism
This is a very unusual condition. Achromatism or monochromatism appears when the subject does not have any pigment or the cones in question are not functional in any case. Vision in this case is based on the information extracted from the cells that capture light, the rods, only in gray scale, black and white.
2. Dichromatism
Generally, When we think of someone with color blindness we tend to identify them with someone who suffers from dichromatism This is understood as the type of color blindness caused by the absence of one of the types of pigments, with which it is not possible to perceive either the color in question or the colors associated with it (for example, if someone cannot see the color red The perception of orange will also be altered). In this case, the wave frequency that allows color perception cannot be captured, so the pigment that captures the closest wave frequency will perform its function, causing the colors to be confused.
Within dichromatism we can identify three basic typologies.
2.1. Protanopia
The subject cannot capture the wave frequencies that allow the color red to be seen, which has a long wave frequency. The color red tends to be seen or perceived as beige or gray, sometimes with greenish tones. If the slingshot frequency is very high, yellow is perceived.
The least common of the types of dichromatism, affecting the perception of shortwave frequencies. The person who suffers from tritanopia does not have the pigment corresponding to the color blue, which is often confused with green. Likewise, yellows tend to look like red, violet or white.
23. Deuteranopia
This is the most common type of color blindness along with protanopia. In this case it lacks the green pigment, and cannot capture wave frequencies typical of that color (which would be medium wave frequencies). Green is not captured, generally appearing beige in color. The perception of red also tends to be affected, having brownish tones.
3. Abnormal trichromatism
Anomalous trichromatism occurs when the person in question has the same three types of pigments as the majority of the population, but nevertheless at least one is altered and not functional Although it is possible that they do have a slight perception of non-functional color, they need very intense stimulation to be able to capture it, and it is more likely that their vision will be similar to that of a dichromat.
Within this type of color blindness we can find three subtypes depending on which of the pigments is not functional.
3.1. Protanomaly
In this case, the subject is able to perceive the colors green and blue normally, but red is not assimilated and captured normally.
3.2. Tritanomaly
Blue is not captured correctly, and it is easy to be confused with others depending on the wave frequency that is captured. Red and green are captured normally.
