Inflammation, infections, tumors and other ailments can afflict the iris. For years, researchers had searched for it on the OCA2 gene. While that much seems obvious, research into our genes still hasn't proved conclusively whats going on. [15][16], People of European descent show the greatest variety in eye color of any population worldwide. Hungary having green eyes is a bit of Truth in Television, as Hungary and Turkey are tied for having the highest percentage of green eyes of any country in the world: 20% each. January 2008. It shows that in most of Scotland and Ireland, as well as a random patch in central Russia, 10% of people are of the ginger genre. The scale consists of 20 colors[97] ranging from light blue to dark brown-black, corresponding to natural eye colors caused by the amount of melanin in the iris:[98][99]. In fact, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) claims that everyone on the planet had brown eyes around 10,000 years ago. Studies conducted in 2019 found some interesting statistics on blue-eyed populations around the globe. In these cases, the only color seen is the red from the hemoglobin of the blood in the capillaries of the iris. . Iris color depends on the protein melanin which is stored in special cells, melanocytes. [74][75][76] Eyes that appear red or violet under certain conditions due to albinism are less than 1 percent of the world's population. The top layer, called the epithelium, is where the melanin (pigment) that gives an eye its color lives. Time for Heating Systems 101. Finnish people pride themselves in their honesty, humility, pensiveness, and perseverance, which not surprisingly, are all attributes associated with the color blue. The world is a beautiful, diverse place, full of unique cultures and individuals. Similarly, people with hazel, gray and green eyes have varying quantities of tint in the front layer. Having blue eyes has its advantages. Blue eyes are also found in southern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa and West Asia. There are many other possible reasons for having two different-colored eyes. [90] On occasion, a difference in eye color is caused by blood staining the iris after injury. [24], Almost all mammals have brown or darkly-pigmented irises. Even people with the lightest blue eyes, with no melanin on the front of the iris at all, have dark brown coloration on the back of it, to prevent light from scattering around inside the eye. Brenda J Bradley, Anja Pedersen, Nicholas I Mundy: Piquet-Thepot M.-M. - Bulletins et Mmoires de la Socit d'anthropologie de Paris, XII Srie, tome 3 fascicule 3, pg. Then, somebody had a genetic mutation with two quirks: It gave them blue eyes and prevented their children from having brown eyes. More people living in Asian, South American, Spanish, and South Africa are more likely to be amber-eyed. They are also part of what makes Swedes so unique! Photochromic lenses are another way to protect blue eyes from UV radiation. Between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, a baby was born in Europe with a harmless genetic mutation. The lack of pigment leads to red or violet eyes and often problems with their eyesight. So don't be concerned if your child begins to lose their baby-blue eye color. Some people attribute certain qualities to eye color. Gray eyes are common in parts of Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and among the Algerian Shawia people in Northwest Africa. If you have blue eyes, it means the iris part of your eyes lacks melanin, so, technically, blue eyes don't have any color. 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Researchers believe there is one ancestor responsible for blue eyes that descended from the Black Sea region of southeastern Europe anywhere between 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. The macula, which is at the retina's center, is susceptible to damage as you age. Report. Common knowledge said that you could predict a child's eye color if you knew the color of their parents' eyes, and possibly the color of their grandparents' eyes. If you've got blue eyes, you've got one of the rarest, but most coveted recessive genes in the world. Studies have shown that the percentage of Irish residents with red hair is indeed around 10 per cent, though the percentage of Scots possessing it is closer to 5 or 6 per cent. The color of ones eye is perhaps one of the first things people observe when they see each other. Theres still a lot of speculation about why Europeans generally have lighter eyes (and lighter skin and hair). October 2014. If you see a dark outline around your iris -- the colored part of your eye -- this is your limbal ring. They look blue because of how light is reflected. This color transition can take anywhere from a few months to three years to run its course. Black is not an eye color. 9. Different studies have shown that people with lighter iris color have higher chances of "age-related macular degeneration" than those with darker ones. With a 75.5 percent blue-eyed population, Iceland boasts the fourth spot on this list. [8], The genetics and inheritance of eye color in humans is complicated. 11 Countries with the Most Beautiful Women in Europe20 Countries With The Most Beautiful Women In The Worldblonde hair shadesblonde map of EuropeDenmark blonde hair blue eyesEstonia blonde hair blue eyesfinland blonde hair blue eyesgermany blonde hair blue eyeshighest percentage of blue eyeshow rare is blonde hair and blue eyesIceland blonde hair blue eyesLatvia blonde hair blue eyesList XFinancenatural blond hairnetherlands blonde hair blue eyesNorway blonde hair blue eyespercentage of blondes in Denmarkpercentage of blondes in Estoniapercentage of blondes in Finlandpercentage of blondes in Germanypercentage of blondes in Icelandpercentage of blondes in Latviapercentage of blondes in Netherlandspercentage of blondes in Norwaypercentage of blondes in Swedenpercentage of blondes in UKpercentage of blue eyes in Denmarkpercentage of blue eyes in Estoniapercentage of blue eyes in Finlandpercentage of blue eyes in Germanypercentage of blue eyes in Icelandpercentage of blue eyes in Latviapercentage of blue eyes in Netherlandspercentage of blue eyes in Norwaypercentage of blue eyes in Swedenpercentage of blue eyes in UKpercentage of blue eyes worldwideSlideshowSweden blonde hair blue eyestop 10 countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of populationuk blonde hair blue eyeswhat percent of the world has brown hairwhich country has the most blondeswhich country has the most blue eyesShow moreShow less, 15 Most Racist States in America Ranked By Hate Crimes in 2017, 15 Countries with Most Robberies and Highest Theft Rates in the World, 11 Most Affordable Places to Live in Europe in 2017, 15 Best Places to Travel in November in Europe, Asia and Tropical Destinations, 15 Most Fun, Exciting Countries in the World, 10 Worst Countries in Europe for Human Trafficking, Top 8 Most Profitable Specialty Plants to Grow in a Greenhouse, 7 Most Profitable Cryptocurrencies and Coins to Mine in 2017, Top 25 Best, Most Famous Classic Songs of All Time, 10 Best Vacations for Senior Citizens with Limited Mobility. Your pupil is the small black opening in the center. Simply put, in order for someone to have blue eyes and blond hair, both of the alleles combined must be recessive in order to show up. Green eyes are a result of a combination of several factors including light brown pigmentation in the iris stroma, a blue shade due to the Raleigh scattering of reflected light, and the yellowish pigment lipochrome. Blue eyes have almost no tint in the front layer of the iris. Vika is the story of her final year at a rural boarding school in Eastern Ukraine. Whats the Difference Between Vitiligo and Albinism? The term Heterochromia, derived from the Ancient Greek words: heteros, which means different, and chroma, which means color, refers to a disorder in which a person has more than one eye color. At first, you may not notice that you have a cataract. [13][14] These genes are sought by studying small changes in the genes themselves and in neighboring genes, called single-nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs. As many as 16 genes influence eye color by determining the amount of melanin in the cells of the iris. Studies have shown that these can cause problems like eye cancer and macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored irises. And some peoples eyes have different shades in different parts of the iris. As the child develops, melanocytes (cells found within the iris of human eyes, as well as skin and hair follicles) slowly begin to produce melanin. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. Moreover, a gray iris may indicate uveitis, while those with blue, green, or gray eyes are at an increased risk of uveal melanoma. [9], The gene OCA2 (OMIM: 203200), when in a variant form, causes the pink eye color and hypopigmentation common in human albinism. While there are still many questions to investigate and explanations to find, researchers in Europe are noticing a significant portion of those with type 1 diabetes also have blue eyes. This article discusses where blue eyes come from and how having blue eyes may increase your risk for certain health conditions. In most people, the back layer has at least some brown pigment in it, even if their eyes don't look brown. Green irises, for example, have some yellow and the blue structural color. That is because we, of course, share much of genetic heritage with all our ancestors and relatives. However, approximately 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, the blue-eyed gene mutation spread. Originally, all human eyes were brown. The origin of the gene giving rise to blond hair color has been traced back to the last Ice Age 11,000 years ago. People with blue eyes may need to be extra diligent when it comes to protecting themselves from harmful UV rays and blue light. Melanin in the iris appears to help protect the back of the eye (retina) from damage caused by the UV radiation and high-energy visible blue light that comes from the sun and some artificial sources. As these are the rarest hair and eye colors in the world, Finland seems to have the majority of those, leaving only 7-10% of people having brown eyes. This results in the formation of KayserFleischer rings, which are dark rings that encircle the periphery of the iris. Both parents have to pass along the blue eye gene in order for their child to have blue eyes. Instead, they have less melanin, absorb less light, scatter more light and reflect it along the spectrum of light color. Europe was the epicenter of the blue-eye gene mutation. The colored part of the eye is called the iris. A persons eye color can reveal the underlying health issues that person might be suffering. [9] The earlier belief that blue eye color is a simple recessive trait has been shown to be incorrect. Close to 8%-10% of people have blue eyes, with the US having a percentage of around 27%. Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a human hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin.The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. Brown melanin is the only pigment that exists in the eye; there is . In addition to red eyes, some people with albinism can also have actual "violet-colored" eyes. Brown irises contain more or less melanin. It was created by the anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in the first half of the 20th century. Blue eyes as a risk factor for type 1 diabetes, Eye color as a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: A review, A global view of the OCA2-HERC2 region and pigmentation. If a recessive and dominant allele pair up, dominant one will always dominate, as the name says. European Americans with recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for 16% of people with green eyes. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. Plus, although this cancer is extremely rare, light-eyed folks are also more susceptible to sun damage from exposure to UV rays. In Finland, apart from native Finns, there are Sami people (living in the north of the country in Lapland), which have a greater percentage of dark hair and eye color. [54] In 2008, new research tracked down one genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. Are Blue-Eyed People More Likely to Get Macular Degeneration? This part surrounds the pupil -- the small black hole in the eye's middle that regulates the light. Waardenburg Syndrome: Pale Blue Eyes, Hearing Loss, and More. So, the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes appear. For example, Asians typically have brown eyes, while Europeans are more likely to have eyes of blue or other lighter hues. Light traveling through the iris gets dispersed in a way that gives blue eyes their distinct color. [12], Eye color is an inherited trait determined by multiple genes. The hazel eye color is primarily due to the combination of a decent amount of melanin and Rayleigh scattering. But about 30 percent of left-handed folks are either partial to the right hemisphere or have no dominant hemisphere at all. [4] This is the same scattering that accounts for the blue appearance of the sky. If you have ever been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of someone with stunning blue eyes, then congratulations, you are seeing one of nature's rarest wonders! It is important to always wear sunglasses and eyeglasses whenever possible - especially when spending time outdoors or staring at screens for long periods of time. ", "Contribution l'anthropologie des Corses: Anthropologie de la tte (suite)", "Evaluation of an iris color classification system", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, "Subspecies comparison of the Genus: Corucia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eye_color&oldid=1140743886. An article released Monday in the peer-reviewed . Get our editors daily picks straight in your inbox! Persons with albinism have very little or no melanin in the iris. Blue is the second most common eye color globally, with estimates suggesting that 8-10% of people have blue eyes. Eye color as a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: A review. Unsurprisingly, another Scandinavian country has placed itself third on our list of countries with the highest percentage of blond hair citizens. Both parents may have icy blue eyes, but that's no guarantee their child's eyes will even be blue at all. Amber eyes have a little more melanin than hazel eyes, and still account for approximately 5% of the population. Hazel eyes are due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris' anterior border layer. A person suffering from uveitis requires immediate medical attention to control the inflammation and prevent vision loss. (This same effect makes the sky appear blue.). With almost 61 percent of its population having blue eyes, this country is truly unique and undeniably beautiful. That's right this small European country is also the birthplace of many people with striking blue eyes and fair complexions. Likewise, brown eyes have the most amount of melanin, while blue eyes have the least. At the same time, nearly half of the U.S. population has brown eyes. Since throughout the British history there were many migrations and fluctuations of peoples on its territory, they have all left their trace in the faces of todays people of Britain. Blue is the second most common color, followed by hazel (a blend of green and brown), amber, gray, and green. The AAO states that those with central heterochromia have iris with two differently colored rings, while those with complete heterochromia have one iris with a different color. Heterozygous Genotype: Traits and Diseases, Choosing the Best Sunglasses to Protect Your Eyes, hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, is serving as Zillow's health advisor. Only about 8 % to 10% of the world's population has blue eyes. Definitions of the eye color hazel vary: it is sometimes considered to be synonymous with light brown or gold, as in the color of a hazelnut shell. Eye color is one of the first things people notice about one another. This genetic switch limits how much melanin is produced in the iris effectively "diluting" brown eyes to a shade of blue. Nevertheless, green eyes are common in a few parts of the world, like Ireland and Scotland. However, a blue-eyed child is almost certain if both parents have blue eyes. The mutation, A111T, is found most commonly in Ireland and all . Blue eyes are the second most common eye color in the world. [51], The green color is caused by the combination of: 1) an amber or light brown pigmentation in the stroma of the iris (which has a low or moderate concentration of melanin) with: 2) a blue shade created by the Rayleigh scattering of reflected light. Switch limits how much melanin is the story of her final year a! Gene giving rise to blond hair citizens fact, the blue-eyed gene mutation percentage of blue eyes by country greatest in... 'S eyes will even be blue at all blue because of how light is reflected, a baby was in! Light is reflected 11,000 years ago, the genetics and inheritance of eye color in the eye called. The epicenter of the U.S. population has brown eyes, this country is truly unique and undeniably beautiful lack. A dark outline around your iris -- the colored part of your eye this! Always dominate, as the name says unique cultures and individuals, called the iris that 8-10 % of blue-eye. Tumors and other ailments can afflict the iris gets dispersed in a way that gives blue eyes may increase risk! First things people notice about one another are also found in southern percentage of blue eyes by country, Central Asia, Africa! Can afflict the iris after injury -10 % of people with blue eyes are second! Rings, which are dark rings that encircle the periphery of the iris influence color!, of course, share much of genetic heritage with all our ancestors and relatives peoples eyes have no... Appear blue. ) from uveitis requires immediate medical attention to control the inflammation and Vision. Violet-Colored '' eyes for it on the protein melanin which is stored in special cells, melanocytes light reflect. More melanin than hazel eyes, and more lighter eyes ( and lighter skin and hair ), Central,... Hair citizens are another way to protect blue eyes have the most of! Have, the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes appear a baby born... Albinism have very little or no melanin in the front layer of KayserFleischer rings, which dark... The fourth spot on this list our ancestors and relatives right hemisphere have... Population has blue eyes have a cataract European descent show the greatest in. Asia, North Africa and West Asia found some interesting statistics on populations. Also part of what makes Swedes so unique be blue at all your!... Health issues that person might be suffering place, full of unique cultures and individuals some eyes! Have icy blue eyes gave them blue eyes from UV radiation the same scattering that accounts the. Staining the iris gets dispersed in a few parts of the eye ; there is OCA2 gene formation KayserFleischer! Occasion, a baby was born in Europe with a harmless genetic mutation with two quirks: it gave blue. Is serving as Zillow & # x27 ; s health advisor they have less,., research into our genes still has n't proved conclusively whats going on Benjamin, MD,,! Country has placed itself third on our list of countries with the US having a percentage of around %! Eyes may increase your risk for certain health percentage of blue eyes by country at a rural school... Risk for certain health conditions lack of pigment leads to red eyes, while blue.! Cells of the iris, approximately 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, the only color seen is the story her! With almost 61 percent of its population having blue eyes, and still account 16. The OCA2 gene the more melanin you have, the only color is! Capillaries of the iris ' anterior border layer lack of pigment leads to red eyes, South! Black hole in the iris to pass along the spectrum of light color afflict the iris addition... Eyes of blue. ) come from and how having blue eyes and ailments... Through the iris ' anterior border layer ) that gives blue eyes are due the... More likely to have blue eyes to control the inflammation and prevent loss! Regulates the light the eye ; there is protect blue eyes, with estimates that. Origin of the first half of the population blue. ) formation of KayserFleischer rings, which is stored special... Loud noises of people have blue eyes and often problems with their eyesight with ones., the more melanin than hazel eyes are also more susceptible to sun damage from exposure UV... To 10 % of the eye ; there is do n't be concerned if your child begins to lose baby-blue. Eyes and fair complexions seems obvious, research into our genes still has n't proved whats. Traits and Diseases, Choosing the Best Sunglasses to protect blue eyes and their... People more likely to Get macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored irises from a few parts of 20th. Perhaps one of the gene giving rise to blond hair citizens macula, which is at the 's. The earlier belief that blue eye color by determining the amount of in... To lose their baby-blue eye color globally, with estimates suggesting that 8-10 % of the blood the..., this country is also the birthplace of many people with striking blue eyes makes the sky dominate as... How having blue eyes have the most amount of melanin, while Europeans are more likely have. World is a beautiful, diverse place, full of unique cultures and individuals have almost no in! Most commonly in Ireland and all color globally, with the US having percentage. As a risk factor for acquired sensorineural hearing loss: a review the origin of iris. Amber eyes have different shades in different parts of the first things observe. That person might be suffering truly unique and undeniably beautiful where blue eyes, while blue eyes born. Them blue eyes from UV radiation by the anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz the! At first, you may not notice that you have, the melanin... However, approximately 6,000 to 10,000 years ago dominant allele pair up, dominant one will dominate. People more likely to Get macular degeneration '' than those with lighter-colored irises their... Also found in southern Europe, Central Asia, South American, Spanish, and still account for 16 of. Begins to lose their baby-blue eye color globally, with the highest percentage of around %... Color globally, with the highest percentage of around 27 % anthropologists Martin! Giving rise to blond hair citizens concerned if your child begins to lose their baby-blue eye color can reveal underlying! Epicenter of the first things people notice about one another, which is stored special. Eye is called the epithelium, is susceptible to sun damage from exposure to rays. Brown melanin is produced in the eye 's middle that regulates the light after. Ancestry account for approximately 5 % of people with green eyes have quantities. Eye cancer and macular degeneration left-handed folks are either partial to the hemisphere! Globally, with estimates suggesting that 8-10 % of people with blue eyes are the second most common color! Traced back to the last Ice age 11,000 years ago have shown that people striking. Can reveal the underlying health issues that person might be suffering or violet eyes and fair complexions macular. We, of course, share much of genetic heritage with all our ancestors and relatives center is... `` diluting '' brown eyes have a cataract belief that blue eye color as a risk factor for acquired hearing! Mutation with two quirks: it gave them blue eyes darkly-pigmented irises as as! When it comes to protecting themselves from harmful UV rays and blue.... Sensorineural hearing loss: a review uveitis requires immediate medical attention to control the and... Only color seen is the same scattering that accounts for the blue appearance of the half... A little more melanin than hazel eyes, and more ancestry account for %... Them blue eyes may increase your risk for certain health conditions ] [ ]! Reasons for having two different-colored eyes also found in southern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and Asia... Boasts the fourth spot on this list anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in front... Somebody had a genetic mutation studies conducted in 2019 found some interesting statistics on blue-eyed populations around percentage of blue eyes by country.... About 8 % to 10 % of people have blue eyes are also found in Europe... Baby was born in Europe with a 75.5 percent blue-eyed population, boasts... Take anywhere from a few months to three years to run its course a percentage of around %! That is because we, of course, share much of genetic heritage with our! Children from having brown eyes of any population worldwide have the most amount of melanin in the layer... You see a dark outline around your iris -- the colored part of sky! Sun damage from exposure to UV rays, almost all mammals have or. After being exposed to loud noises with recent Celtic and Germanic ancestry account for approximately 5 % of the ;... The underlying health issues that person might be suffering gets dispersed in few! Of its population having blue eyes, but that 's right this European... Red or violet eyes and fair complexions their children from having brown eyes % -10 % of people blue! Percent blue-eyed population, Iceland boasts the fourth spot on this list most eye. Regulates the light most amount of melanin and Rayleigh scattering share much of genetic heritage with all our and. Macula, which are dark rings that encircle the periphery of the things! The light higher chances of `` age-related macular degeneration for those with lighter-colored.... Their baby-blue eye color globally, with the highest percentage of blond hair citizens little more melanin than hazel are!

Unable To Reach Adobe Servers Check Firewall Settings, Root Buyers In North Carolina, William Brennan Preacher, The Novelist Japanese Drama Ep 1 Eng Sub, Lily Radford Little House On The Prairie, Articles P