It's possible, but less likely. Here's why:
Red/green color blindness is typically inherited through the X chromosome. Since females have two X chromosomes (XX) and males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), the inheritance patterns differ.
Understanding Color Blindness Inheritance
Here’s a breakdown of how a girl can be color blind even if her father isn't:
- The Mother's Role: A girl can be color blind if she inherits the color blindness gene from both of her parents.
- Carrier Status: A mother who is not color blind herself can still be a "carrier" if she has one X chromosome with the color blindness gene and one normal X chromosome. According to our reference, if her father is not colour blind, a "carrier" daughter won't be red/green colour blind.
- Inheritance Scenario: If a carrier mother has a child with a father who is color blind (which is not the scenario in the question), there is a chance the daughter could inherit the color blindness gene from both parents and thus be color blind. However, since this question states the father is not color blind, this is not applicable.
- New Mutation (Rare): It's extremely rare, but theoretically possible for a new mutation to occur in the egg cell of the mother. In that case, it would still only be a carrier, and a second mutation event from the father would have to occur for the daughter to be color blind. That has an incredibly low chance.
How a Daughter Becomes a Carrier
- Carrier Mother: A daughter can become a carrier in one of two ways – she can acquire the 'gene' from a carrier mother or from a color blind father. This is why red/green color blindness is far more common in men than women.
Table: Inheritance Scenarios
| Mother | Father | Daughter's Possible Genotype | Daughter's Phenotype (Color Vision) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal (XX) | Normal (XY) | XX | Normal |
| Carrier (XcX) | Normal (XY) | XX or XcX | Normal or Carrier |
| Color Blind (XcXc) | Normal (XY) | XcX or XX | Carrier or Normal |
| Normal (XX) | Color Blind (XcY) | XcX | Carrier |
| Carrier (XcX) | Color Blind (XcY) | XcXc or XcX or XX or XcY | Color Blind, Carrier, Normal |
| Color Blind (XcXc) | Color Blind (XcY) | XcXc | Color Blind |
Key:
- X = Normal X chromosome
- Xc = X chromosome carrying the color blindness gene
- Y = Y chromosome
Conclusion
In the specific scenario where the father is not color blind, the daughter cannot inherit the color blind gene from the father. If the mother is a carrier, the daughter could be a carrier. She can only be color blind if she receives the gene from both parents.
