A possible link between colour vision and the development of myopia (near-sightedness) has been found by an international group of researchers.
The link was found during research into the genetic disease Bornholm Eye Disease (BED), which is carried by females and affects males.
Scientists analysed genes which specify photosensitive (opsin) pigments found in the retina of seven families with BED, and found that opsin gene variation was responsible for cone dysfunction and the colour vision defect.
The researchers said that since myopia is an integral component of BED syndrome, it was likely that myopia must also arise from dysfunction in the cone, but how this works was uncertain.
Read more at The University of Western Australia