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From genes to colour vision

Our ability to see colours enables us to interpret the world around us. But how do we distinguish colour? In this article we explore the science behind colour vision. We ask the questions ‘Do all animals see the same colours?’ and ‘How might colour vision have evolved?’

Computer artwork of an Ishihara colour test card used to check for red–green colour blindness. A person with normal vision will be able to see the word ‘colour’. A person with red deficiency will only see the orange parts of the word, while those with green deficiency will only see the red parts of the word.
DAVID NICHOLLS/SPL

Photoreception

Colour

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Shrewd guesses

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Papillomavirus: a cancer-causing virus

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