To See or Not to See...Inheritance of Color Blindness

 

A Web Based Inquiry Activity for 9th and 10th Grade Biology

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Anthony came home from school one day and handed his mother a note from his teacher.  The note read:

             

             Dear Mrs. Nova,

                   I have noticed over the last few weeks that Anthony is 

                   having trouble distinguishing between the colors we

                   have been reviewing in class, especially red and green. 

                       In addition, he has been completing his color-by-number

                  worksheets incorrectly.           

Sincerely,

  Mrs. Casey

 

Anthony's mother immediately took Anthony to their family doctor.  After a series of tests, the doctor concluded that Anthony suffered from a common color vision deficiency known as red-green color blindness.  "How could my son be color blind?, Anthony's mother frantically asked.  Neither I nor Anthony's father are colorblind." "Well, replied the doctor, most likely Anthony inherited this trait.  A look into your family history may help you understand this trait's mode of inheritance."

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Email: mach@lehigh.edu

Last Updated: October 21, 2003

© 2003 Marisa A. Castronova