Eyes can tell a lot about us – their color is determined by genes, and color, in turn, affects not only light sensitivity, but also many other factors.
Light-eyed women experience easier childbirth
According to research, women with blue and green eyes have a higher pain threshold than those with brown eyes and experience less discomfort during childbirth. In addition, it turned out that light-eyed mothers are less prone to postpartum depression and anxiety.
Less than 1% of people have eyes of different colors.
This phenomenon is called heterochromia and is extremely rare. As a result of uneven melatonin concentrations, the eyes may be completely or partially different from each other. There are various causes for this unusual phenomenon, including genetics, rare syndromes, and even physical damage to the eye.
Brown-eyed people are the most resistant to the sun
The iris of brown eyes, as you might have guessed, contains the most melanin, a pigment that naturally protects against the sun. In addition to a reduced risk of macular degeneration and eye cancer, people with brown eyes are less likely to get melanoma than people with blue eyes.
All blue-eyed people had a common ancestor
Nowadays, only 8-10% of the world’s population has blue eyes. But, for example, in Europe the percentage of blue-eyed people is higher, according to researchers, from 20% to 40%. Scientists believe that people with blue eyes have a common ancestor, born with a genetic mutation about 6-8 thousand years ago. But this is just a theory. Blue eyes have a minimal amount of light-absorbing pigment, for this reason they are most sensitive to light.
Eye color can change
Many children are born with blue eyes – the pigment gradually accumulates until about 6 months, and the eye color can change. With age, on the contrary, the pigment in the iris can partially break down – in this case, it will become less saturated. Long-term exposure to the sun can accelerate the production of melanin and make the eyes darker, as can glaucoma medications. In the end, even clothing and makeup visually change the color of the eyes.
There is no green pigment in green eyes.
All eyes contain melanin, a natural pigment that affects the color of our skin, hair, and eyes. Green eyes, like blue eyes, have a low melanin content, but they also contain a yellowish, fat-soluble pigment called lipochrome, which makes them green. About 2% of the world’s population have green eyes, but in Ireland and Scotland, the vast majority are green-eyed — almost 90%.