Eli5: why do woman get less of some mutation like color blindness?

Question

If one X chromosome is healthy and one is mutated, why does the healthy take control?

In: 8

Answer 1

When it comes to X-linked disorders, it helps to think of the faulty/ mutated gene as recessive to a healthy X. So for women, since they have 2 Xs, they won’t get colorblindness unless they get saddled with 2 bad copies. And since males only have a single X, without a backup X, colorblindness is easier to get.