Asked by: Hugh Diskin, Australia

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No, colour blindness (also known as colour vision deficiency) is caused by an inherited defect in the genes that code for the colour-sensitive proteins in the eye, leading to problems in the development of one or more of the three sets of colour sensing cone cells in the retina of the eye. Males are more likely to inherit this gene as it is passed on the X chromosome. As females have two X chromosomes, a defect in one is typically compensated for by the other.

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luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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