week ten (10) - last week of classes

(Abstract) In this paper the reader will learn what the word Achromatopsia is, means, and how it can effect a person sight of color vision. There are two different kinds of Achromatopsia. These are complete and incolplete. The reader will learn what the difference between complete and incomplete Achromatopsia are and how a person gets this condition. The reader will learn how rod monochromatism and Achromatopsia are the very same thing. What does light sensitivity have to do with Achromatopsia? Why would a person have to wear red tinted sunglasses inside of the house? (Title)Through the eyes; with no color(Introduction)When you look at the world, what do you see? You probably see a lot of colors that are in the world. Well, someone with a condition called achromatopsia can not see any color at all. So it is impossible for them to see the color of grass, water, trees, sun, and clouds. Just to name a few of the things that people with this condition can not see the color of. Did you know that 1 in every 33,000 Americans have Achromatopsia (Windsor, R., Windsor, L., n.d.)? Most people take being able to see color for granted, people with this condition can not do that. Do you ever remember taking a look at your grandmother's or mother's old black and white photographs? Now, try to live in a world that looks like those photographs. Now, what do you see? Do you see gray clouds? Do you see black water? Do your see black grass? Do you see white sun? Do your see black trees? If you have Achromatopsia you do. This is what a person with Achromatopsia see everyday of their life. Would you like to learn more about this condition?(Paragraph one)Do you know what the word Achromatopsia means? Well, achromatopsia means" a person who is colorblind, colorless, with out color" (Davis, F., 2005). In order for someone to have this condition they have to be born with an inherited gene. These genes are CNGB3 and CNGA3. This means that either the mother or the father has to have passed on one or both of these genes to the child. If the person that recieved this gene tends to get both of these genes then they have complete Achromatopsia, but if they only get one of these genes they have incomplete Achromatopsia (Windsor, R., Windsor, L., n.d.). Patients that have incomplete Achromatopsia are very light sensitive, but can still see some color. Patients with complete Achromatopsia again are very light sensitive,but can not see any color at all (Genetics Home Reference 2009). "More men than women have color blindness. And usually people with a color deficiency are born with this condition" (Bailey, G., Haddrill,M., 2009). In fact, "ten times more men get this condition than women" (Waxman, L., 1995). How can one tell if they have these genes or not? (paragraph two) Usually it starts just like any other disease. Sometimes it can happen at birth, but other times it can happen suddenly. When this condition starts, either suddenly or at birth, there is a certain test that can be done that will let the doctor know what is going on with the eyes and the way that the patient sees color. These two test are called Ishihara test and the Sheridan-Gardiner test. The Ishihara test will tell the doctor that there are abnormality (St. Martin's Press 1999) of color in the eyes, but will not let the doctor know to what extent (Gardiner, P., McGlannan, F., 2001). In fact a Sheridan-Gardiner test will have to be taken. "The Sherian-Gardiner is matching test for visual acuity and other standard color vision screening techniques"(Gardiner, P., McGlannan, F., 2001). When a person can not see color they think that something is wrong with there eyes and they only are partially correct.There are three types of color cones in the eyes that let them see color. When the patient has Achromatopsia, the color cone in the eyes are still there but they are just not functional (News Reviews 2000). When a person has Achromatopsia the person usually wears either very dark sunglasses or red tinted sunglasses even inside of the house hold (Moore, T., M.D. 2009).(Paragraph three) In the book called "The island of the colorblind"' Oliver Sacks wondered a question. That question was "What was the difference between blind people and colorblind people?"(1996). In this book, it told of an island that has nothing but colorblind people on it. Oliver Sacks visited this island in the year 1776. When people read this book they find out about what the people see everyday of their lives when they have Achromatopsia. Some other examples of people with this condition are, one from a person in St. Louis MO. Which in short said;"when I flunked the color blindness test once during the course of a regular physical exam, the nurse halted the test, called all of her colleagues around and requested that I retake the test in front of the audience. My wife effortlessly, and by now, subconsciously, inserts the word "red" or "yellow" in midsentence as we approch flashing lights at night" (Childress, T., 1998). Yet, another experience would be: "while there are days when I wish I could see all of the colors in a sunset or appreciate the changing of the leaves, I usually just consider myself lucky that I see the world colored in a way that very few others do" (Rosenblatt, S., 1998). (Conclusion)In Conclusion, when you look at your grandmother's or mother's old photographs, what do you see? Achromatopsia means no color. So, a person that would live in a world that everyone can see color does not mean that this person can see the different colors of the world. Would you still take seeing color for granted,some people do and some people do not. Just because somebody looks normal that does not mean that they see things the same way that everybody else does. People with Achromatopsia look just like everyone else but they just see things differently. Now, that you have a chance to read what I have wrote in my final paper please give me you feed back as to what you think about it. Thank you for taking the time to read this paper and to educate yourself by mean of this information. Please put yourself in to this paper so that you will know what I see everyday of my life. I have the complete kind.