What is tetrachromacy?

Most people can see four colors, red, green, blue, and yellow. But some people can see four times as many, thanks to something called tetrachromacy.

Imagine you have a box of crayons. Most kids have 24 crayons. But tetrachromatic kids might have a whole shelf of crayons, like 100 or more! That’s because they have special cells in their eyes that help them see more shades and details than others.

Normally, our eyes use three types of cells called cones, which are good at seeing red, green, and blue. Tetrachromats have a fourth type of cone, often for yellow or another color. This lets them see things that look the same to most people as totally different, like seeing extra colors in flowers or sky reflections.

It's kind of like having super hearing, but for your eyes! Some tetrachromatic people can even tell the difference between two shades of blue that look identical to most kids. It's like having a special superpower for seeing, and it’s real! Most people can see four colors, red, green, blue, and yellow. But some people can see four times as many, thanks to something called tetrachromacy.

Imagine you have a box of crayons. Most kids have 24 crayons. But tetrachromatic kids might have a whole shelf of crayons, like 100 or more! That’s because they have special cells in their eyes that help them see more shades and details than others.