Deuteranopia, or Red-Green Colorblindness, is an inherited disorder of color vision that affects approximately 5-7% of males and less than 1% of females (Voskanian, 2009). Deuteranopia is a type of red-green colorblindness, which is the most common form of colorblindness. People with deuteranopia are able to see colors, but they are unable to distinguish between red and green.
Deuteranopia is caused by a genetic mutation in the X chromosome which affects the photopigment of cones in the retina. This mutation results in decreased sensitivity to the medium-wavelength part of the visible spectrum, and as a result, the green and red colors appear to be the same (Voskanian, 2009). In addition, people with deuteranopia may also have difficulty distinguishing between blue and green, as well as yellow and orange.
Deuteranopia is diagnosed by a series of tests that measure the amount of light required to distinguish certain colors. The most common test is the Ishihara Color Test, a test that uses a series of colored plates featuring numbers that are visible to those with normal color vision, but are invisible to those with deuteranopia (Voskanian, 2009). Other tests include the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test, the Farnsworth D15 Color Test, and the Lanthony Desaturated D15 Test (Voskanian, 2009).
People with deuteranopia are able to live a normal life, but may require accommodations to ensure they are able to distinguish colors in everyday life. For example, they may benefit from the use of special glasses or contact lenses, which can help them to distinguish between different colors. In addition, they may need to rely on verbal descriptions of colors from those around them.
In conclusion, deuteranopia is a type of red-green colorblindness that affects a small percentage of the population. It is caused by a genetic mutation in the X chromosome that results in decreased sensitivity to the medium-wavelength part of the visible spectrum. People with deuteranopia are able to live a normal life with the help of accommodations, such as special glasses or contact lenses.
References
Voskanian, A. (2009). Color vision deficiency and color blindness. In M. A. Mehr & A. K. Ghadirian (Eds.), Color vision deficiency: A comprehensive guide (pp. 1-22). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.