Pale eyes. All the facts about the eyes. Eye color: emerald

From a school biology course, we know how the color of a child’s eyes is genetically determined, we know that brown color dominates over blue and it happens that a person has eyes of different colors. We will tell you facts you didn't know. For example, at what age does eye color develop and why does our iris have one color or another?

Fact 1: all people are born with light eyes

Please note that all newborn babies have blue-gray eyes. Ophthalmologists explain this very simply - babies have no pigment in the iris. There are exceptions only in the countries of East, Southeast and South Asia. There, children's irises are already saturated with pigment.

Fact 2: We acquire our final eye color in adolescence

The color of the iris changes and forms by 3-6 months of a child’s life, when melanocytes accumulate in the iris. The final eye color in humans is established by the age of 10-12 years.

Fact 3: brown eyes are blue eyes

Brown is the most common eye color on the planet. But ophthalmologists say that brown eyes are actually blue under the brown pigment. This is a consequence of a genetic mutation. The outer layer of the iris contains a large amount of melanin, resulting in the absorption of both high- and low-frequency light. Reflected light results in a brown (brown) color.

There is a laser procedure that can remove pigment and make your eyes blue. It is impossible to return the previous color after the procedure.

Fact 4: in ancient times everyone was brown-eyed

Researchers have found that 10 thousand years ago, all inhabitants of the planet had brown eyes. Later, a genetic mutation appeared in the HERC2 gene, whose carriers decreased the production of melanin in the iris. This led to the appearance of the color blue for the first time. This fact was established by a group of scientists at the University of Copenhagen led by Associate Professor Hans Eiberg in 2008.

Fact 5: a little about heterochromia

This is what is called the different color of the iris of the right and left eyes or the unequal color of different parts of the iris of one eye. This feature is explained by the fact of excess or deficiency of melanin due to diseases, injuries, and genetic mutations. With absolute heterochromia, a person has two different colors of the iris. One eye may be blue, the other - brown. There are 1% of people on the planet with such an unusual deviation.

Fact 6: green is the rarest eye color

1.6% of people on the planet have green eyes; it is the rarest, as it is eradicated in the family by the dominant brown gene. Green color is formed like this. The outer layer of the iris contains an unusual light brown or yellow pigment called lipofuscin. In combination with the blue or cyan color resulting from scattering in the stroma, green is obtained. Pure green eye color is extremely rare: the color of the iris is usually uneven, and this leads to the appearance of numerous shades. Most often, green eye color occurs in those whose genotype is dominated by the gene responsible for red hair color. Swiss and Israeli scientists came to these conclusions. These findings are indirectly confirmed by the high prevalence of green eyes among red-haired people. The results of the study were published in the “Genetic Nature” section of the Nature.Com portal.

Fact 7: a little about other colors of the iris

Black color the eye is similar in structure to brown. But the concentration of melanin in the iris is so high that the light falling on it is virtually completely absorbed. Black eye color is most common among members of the Mongoloid race in East, Southeast and South Asia. In these regions, the iris of newborn children is already saturated with melanin.

Blue color The eye is the result of light scattering in the stroma (the main part of the cornea). The lower the density of the stroma, the richer the blue color.

Blue eyes, in contrast to blue ones, are explained by the higher density of the stroma. The higher the fiber density, the lighter the color. As we all remember, this beautiful color scheme was partly the reason for the formation of fascist ideology. After all, according to scientists, 75% of the indigenous inhabitants of Germany have blue eyes. No other country in the world has such a concentration of blue-eyed people.

Walnut color is a combination of brown (hazel), blue or light blue. And it can take on different shades depending on the lighting.

Grey colour the eye is similar to blue, while the density of the fibers of the outer layer is higher. If the density is not so high, the eye color will be gray-blue. Gray eye color is most common among residents of Northern and Eastern Europe, in certain regions of North-West Africa, as well as among residents of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.

Yellow the eye is extremely rare. It is formed due to the content of lipofuscin pigment (lipochrome) in the vessels of the iris. But in most cases, the fact of this eye color is explained by the presence of kidney diseases.

Fact 8: Albinos can have both red and purple eyes

The most unusual and interesting eye color, red, is usually found in albinos. Due to the lack of melanin, the iris of albinos is transparent and appears red due to the blood vessels. In some cases, red, mixed with the blue color of the stroma, gives a violet eye color. However, such deviations occur in a very small percentage of people.

Prepared using materials: ailas.com.ua, medhome.info, glaza.by, medbooking.com, nature.сom, nfoniac.ru

Eyes are the mirror of the soul. You can drown in their bottomless depths, you can pin them to a place with your gaze or captivate your heart forever... Masters of words often use similar epithets. And indeed, sky blue eyes enchant, bright green eyes enchant, and black eyes pierce through. But how often can you meet green-eyed people in real life, and what eye color is the rarest? Read on for answers to these questions.

What eye colors are there?

In reality, there are only 4 pure eye colors - brown, gray, blue and green. But the mixing of colors, pigmentation, the amount of melanin, and the network of blood vessels together create many shades. Thanks to this effect, there are people with light brown, amber, black and even red eyes.

This is theoretically possible, but practically no one has seen it yet

Scientists who study what determines eye color, the heredity of this issue and possible mutations have experimentally determined that theoretically people with violet eyes should live on Earth.

Purple, from a genetic perspective, is a pigmented version of the color blue. In addition to scientific theories, there is evidence that in the remote corners of North Kashmir on the Hindustan Peninsula there are residents with real lilac eyes. Unfortunately, this is only oral evidence, not confirmed by photography or video, so skeptics are cold to such a statement.

However, the eyes of Elizabeth Taylor, a popular actress and queen of Hollywood, had an unusual lilac color. This is clearly visible in the film “Cleopatra”, where she brilliantly played the main role. And these could not be colored lenses, because their production began in 1983, and the film was released in 1963. Although the play of light and shadow coupled with skillful makeup sometimes works wonders...

If we discard the hypothesis about the existence of people with violet eyes on earth, then we can safely say that green is the rarest eye color on the planet. Only 2% of the world's population possess it. In this case, the following patterns are observed:

• The vast majority of green-eyed people live in central and northern Europe, mainly in Scotland, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Iceland, and Finland. If in Iceland 40% of the total population have green eyes, then this color of the “mirror of the soul” cannot be found in Asia or South America;
• In women, this eye color is 3 times more common than in men;
• there is a direct relationship between green eyes and skin and hair color. Green-eyed people are almost always white-skinned and most often red-haired. During the Inquisition, green-eyed, red-haired women were considered witches and burned at the stake;
• If mom and dad are green-eyed, then the probability of having a child with the same eye color is 75%.

If only one parent is green-eyed, then the probability of having the same baby is reduced to 50%. Interestingly, if one parent has brown eyes and the other has blue eyes, they will never have a green-eyed child. But if both parents are blue-eyed, then the child’s eyes will probably be green, not blue. That's genetics!

The famous poetess Marina Tsvetaeva had eyes of a beautiful emerald shade. Demi Moore and the beautiful Angelina Jolie have irises of the rarest natural green color.

Amber or gold

These colors are varieties of brown eyes. They have a monochrome yellow tint or a mixture of golden and light brown tones. Such exotic wolf-like eyes are very rare. Their amazing color is due to the presence of lipofuscin pigment.

Blue lake – blue magnet

In third place in terms of prevalence are blue eyes. They are most common among Europeans, especially in the Baltic and Northern European countries. For example, almost all Estonians (99% of the population!) and Germans (75% of the population) are blue-eyed.

This shade is quite common among residents of Iran, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

Gray and blue are shades of blue, due to the greater saturation of melanin in the iris. Gray eyes can change tone from light gray, mousey to the rich color of wet asphalt, depending on the owner’s mood and lighting.

It is known that only about 6 thousand years ago a mutation occurred at the gene level, as a result of which the first child with blue eyes was born.

Blue-eyed people have a greater need for sex and pronounced reproductive functions.

Brown-eyed

The most common eye color is brown. Depending on the saturation of melanin in the iris, the eyes can be light or dark brown, almost black. Scientists are 100% sure that 10 thousand years ago, all people on the planet had brown eyes.

A variety of brown shade is black. Black-eyed inhabitants of the Earth are most often found in Asia and Africa. Scientists know that dark skin color determines dark eye color. A black man with blue eyes is the rarest phenomenon on the planet.

Pathologies

Deviations from the norm are red and multi-colored eyes. In the first case, the cause is albinism - a congenital absence of the coloring pigment melanin in the body. In the second - heterochromia, a congenital or acquired pathology. Since ancient times, people with different eyes were credited with magical abilities.

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Whether you are a brown-eyed blonde or a blue-eyed brunette, you probably sometimes wanted to know what you would look like, for example, with green eyes. But not everyone knows that there are many factors, including nutrition and emotions, that can change the iris even without surgery. We will tell you the most interesting things, and also show, using the example of stars, how a radical change in eye color changes your appearance.

website I have collected interesting facts for you about how and why a person’s eye color can change.

1. How mood affects eye color

Vivid emotions are always a shock to the body. With intense joy or intense anger, not only does our heart rate change, our breathing quickens, or, conversely, our breath takes away, but also there is a noticeable accentuation of the color of the iris. It may become more saturated, sometimes darker, sometimes lighter.

Perhaps the most pure color can be observed in people experiencing happy moments.

If your baby was born with blue-gray eyes, then you may well be in for a surprise. The secret of blue eyes, also called "sky effect", lies in the low melanin content in the iris, so light is scattered, and the low density of stromal fibers it appears even brighter - like blue. And most kids at 3–18 months of life, eye color may darken if there is an accumulation of melanocytes in the iris. In particular, among residents of mountainous regions it often happens that blue transforms into walnut. This largely depends on the color of the parents' eyes. Sometimes the full color appears by 10–12 years.

And here In babies born with brown eyes, everything is stable, this is their bright shade for life. Due to the high melanin content, the outer layer of the iris absorbs and reflects light, resulting in brown. By the way, brown-eyed people have a special bonus - more low percentage of eye diseases, but be sure to wear sunglasses. And also, according to research, in the Czech Republic, brown-eyed people are usually perceived as more reliable, but light-eyed women have fewer problems with negativity and depression.

By the way, recent studies have shown that eye color is affected by about 16 genes, which makes it much more difficult forecasting.

3. “Live” nutrition and cleansing the body of toxins

IN there is a theory in alternative medicine about the relationship between the color of the iris and the condition of internal organs. This direction is called iridology, but due to the lack of a solid evidence base, it is still classified as pseudoscientific. But Dr. Robert Morse, a detoxification specialist whose patients were about 1/4 million people, who has long been interested in iridology, notes: according to his observations, The upper quadrant of the eye is linked to brain health, and the inner circle is with the digestive system. However, he says that an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet can significantly change eye color, and has created a series video about your research.

Women have a magical tool with which they can significantly change the shade of their eyes or make them more saturated. And “magic wands” are makeup in various shades, clothing, hair color and jewelry. For example, girls with brown eyes can significantly “lighten” their iris using outfits in golden, pink and light green colors.

And those with blue or green eyes will effectively enhance the richness of their eye color using jewelry made from turquoise, emeralds and stones of blue shades. Wherein neutral white, gray and black colors will allow you to show your true eye color. By the way, if you wear glasses, ask your specialist to choose them with AR lenses, which will be more comfortable for you and also neutralize glare, which will allow others to see the color of your eyes without distortion.

5. Sunlight and location

Brown eyes- the most common on earth: they can be found 70% of the world's population on all continents - from Australia to North and South America. And in some regions, almost all residents - 95% of the Japanese, indigenous people of China, the Middle East, South America, Southern Europe and Oceania. In the USA, almost half of the people are brown-eyed.

There are more people with blue eyes in Northern Europe: in Estonia, Denmark and Finland - 89% of the population, in Germany - 75%, in Great Britain - 50%. Sometimes this shade is found in Syria, among Ashkenazi Jews, Tajiks and among the mountain Pamiris. By the way, in 2008, geneticists at the University of Copenhagen discovered that the blue iris is a mutation in a gene that arose 6–10 thousand years ago. Dr. Eyberg noted that " everyone originally had brown eyes, and the mutation reduced melanin production.” According to scientists, this first happened in the north-west of the Black Sea region.

And here green eye color - only for 2 % inhabitants of the planet. The shade was formed due to the moderate content of melanin and a mixture of yellow-brown pigments. Most often found in residents of Spain, Ireland, Russia, Brazil, Iceland, and Pakistan. A The rarest eye color is yellow, it is formed in the presence of lipochrome pigment.

6. Laser “lightening” eye color

Previously, operations to implant an implant were carried out, which implied a great risk, sometimes it was a question of loss of vision, as happened with one Argentine Instagram star. But since 2011, they began to develop laser correction, which was invented by Dr. Greg Homer from the USA. Using a laser, melanin cells are destroyed, due to which the iris can be “lightened”. That is people with brown and black eyes can become blue-eyed, blue-eyed or gray-eyed.

By the way, The procedure lasts only about 20 seconds, and the final result is visible in 2–4 weeks. Homer was given this idea by a dermatologist friend who burns out moles and pigment with a laser. The first studies showed that the operation does not affect vision, but To study all the consequences, you need time with eyes of green-blue or hazel-green shades, which are also called Hazel." Doctors do not find vision problems in such individuals, and there is also no confirmation that this “gift” is transmitted genetically.

According to biologists, a uniform change in the shade of the iris is associated with processes in the nervous and endocrine systems, but often the reason lies in Rayleigh scattering and the amount of melanin. Chameleon eyes always react to stress, love experiences, fatigue, and the environment and climate change can also cause color changes. A psychologists observe unpredictability in such people and a certain tendency towards mischief, in fact, we are talking about a mixture of temperaments.

Eye color in humans is inherited by one of many genes. From the moment of conception, a person is predetermined to have one or another shade of the iris. However, even scientists cannot say with 100% certainty what eye color a child will have. What affects the shade of the iris and what rare eye colors do people have?

What color are people's eyes: four main shades

People's eye colors are completely unique. It is known that the pattern on the iris is as unique as human fingerprints. There are mainly four colors of the iris - brown, blue, gray, green. According to statistics, green is the rarest color listed. It occurs in only 2% of people. There are only 4 primary colors, but there are many shades of them. In exceptional cases, a person’s iris can be red, black and even purple. These are the most unusual shades that the iris acquires after birth; they are extremely rare in nature.

Is it possible to determine what eye color a child will have?

After birth, the baby's eyes are usually light green or dull gray. After a few months, the tone of the iris changes. This happens thanks to melanin, which accumulates and forms the color of the eyes. The more melanin, the darker the iris. The color, which is determined by the genes, appears around the age of one, but it is finally formed only by 5, and in some cases by 10 years. The intensity of eye color, that is, the amount of melanin, is influenced by genetics and nationality.

No geneticist can predict with absolute certainty what exact eye color a child will have. However, there are some patterns that allow us to assume what a person’s eyes will be like.

These patterns can be seen using examples:

• If mom and dad have blue eyes, then the probability of having a child with the same iris shade is 99%. 1% remains for green, which is the rarest of the four main ones.
• If one parent has blue eyes and the other has green eyes, then there is a 50% chance that the child will have green or blue eyes.
• If dad and mom are green-eyed, then the probability of having a baby with a green iris is 75%, 24% are cases of a baby being born with blue eyes, 1% are with brown eyes.
• If one of the parents is blue-eyed and the other is brown-eyed, then their children will be brown-eyed in 50% of cases. 37% of children from such unions are born with blue eyes, and 13% with green eyes.
• Children with brown-eyed parents will also be brown-eyed in 75% of cases. They can have green-eyed children with a probability of 18%, and blue-eyed children with a probability of 7%.

It is worth taking into account that a child’s blue eyes may subsequently become sky blue, gray-green – emerald, and brown – black. This is almost impossible to predict. Actually, this is the basis of the uniqueness of the shade of the human iris. Sometimes she has an unusual color from birth. There are completely rare shades, found in only one person in hundreds of thousands. Let's make a list of the most unusual eye colors.

The most unusual eye color in the world. Top rare eye colors in people

The first place in the list of “The rarest eye color” is violet. This shade is obtained by mixing blue and red tones; few people have seen people with purple irises. As geneticists note, violet eyes are a similarity to blue eyes, that is, they are a variant or pigment of the blue color. It is believed that purple eye color is found only among the people of North Kashmir in the world. The legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor also had lilac eyes. Varieties of purple shade include ultramarine, amethyst and hyacinth.

Sometimes a lilac iris can be a symptom of pathology. In Marchesani syndrome, which is characterized by abnormal development of the eyes and limbs, the iris may take on a purple hue.

The color purple can be considered a great rarity; it is rather beyond comparison. Then the green tint rightfully takes first place in the ranking of eyes of unusual colors. Only 2% of the world's population has it. In this case, the following patterns are observed:

• Green-eyed ones are more common in Northern and Central Europe, including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Scotland. In Iceland, approximately 40% of people have green eyes. In Asia, Africa, and South America, it is almost impossible to meet green-eyed people when it comes to indigenous people.
• Women have green eyes three times more often than men.
• Many green-eyed people have white skin and red hair.

The most famous owner of green eyes is Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie. Her iris has a dark green tint. Actress Tilda Swinton has bright emerald green eyes, while Charlize Theron's irises are a calmer, light green color. Among men with green eyes, one can remember Tom Cruise and Clive Owen.

Another rare color is red. Most often, albinos have red eyes, although with albinism the iris is usually brown or blue. The iris becomes red when the melanin pigment is absent. Because of this, eye color is determined by the blood vessels showing through the iris. If the red tint mixes with the blue tint of the stroma, the eyes may take on a magenta color, which is closer to violet.

Amber eye color, which is a type of brown, is also very rare. Amber eyes are usually bright, clear with a very strong golden tone throughout the iris. Varieties of amber color include golden green, reddish copper, tan and golden brown. True amber eyes, which may somewhat resemble the eyes of a wolf, are practically never found in nature. However, shades of amber are also quite beautiful and rare.

Fifth place in the top unusual eye colors is black. It is, in fact, another variety of brown. The black iris contains a lot of melanin, the amount of which determines the intensity of the color. Thanks to its saturation, the black tint almost completely absorbs the rays of light falling on the iris. This type of eye is found mainly among representatives of African peoples. In Caucasians, it is less common, but it is more common than purple, green and amber eyes. A famous owner of black eyes was the British actress Audrey Hepburn. Varieties of black include slate black, obsidian, pitch black, dark almond and jet black.

Eyes of different colors are also very rare. This physiological feature is called heterochromia.

Eyes of different colors

Heterochromia is a fairly rare phenomenon. It occurs in only 2% of the world's population. It occurs due to a lack of melanin in the iris of one eye.

Congenital heterochromia develops approximately six months after the birth of a child, when pigment begins to be produced. If it is distributed unevenly, the eyes take on different shades.

Most often, congenital heterochromia is observed in women, although there is no scientific explanation for this. Men's eyes also come in different colors, but much less often. But their heterochromia manifests itself in a more unusual form.

Types of heterochromia:

• Full. Often in this case, one eye of a person is brown and the other is blue. Anatomically, the organs of vision do not differ from each other. They have the same size and visual acuity.
• Partial. With this form of heterochromia, the iris of one eye is colored in different shades. It can be divided into halves, quarters, or have wavy color borders. As a rule, partial heterochromia is observed in children aged two to four years. Subsequently, melanin is distributed evenly. If this does not happen, it is necessary to get checked and identify the presence of pathologies.
• Central. This form is characterized by the appearance of rings around the pupil. This phenomenon is somewhat reminiscent of the rainbow effect, when one iris has two or more rings of several colors. There are no more than a dozen such people all over the world.

Heterochromia, which has genetic background, manifests itself after birth. The acquired form occurs as a result of injuries and diseases, for example, Fuchs syndrome. This disease is an inflammation of the choroid and iris. The syndrome usually affects one eye. One of the symptoms of the disease is lightening of the iris. There are other, more rare pathologies that are accompanied by changes in the color of the iris. Among them:

• Posner-Schlossman syndrome is a type of uveitis, that is, inflammation of the iris and choroid;
• Horner's syndrome is a disease associated with damage to the nervous system and manifests itself in the organs of vision;
• Pigmentary glaucoma is a pathology in which pigment separates from the iris and enters other parts of the eye;
• Iris melanoma is a malignant tumor that is usually dark brown in color.

All these pathologies are characterized by a change in eye color.

Chameleon eyes

Another rare phenomenon associated with iris color is chameleon eyes that change color. Changes in the shade of the iris can occur as a result of natural causes and under the influence of external factors. Natural emotions include emotions (stress, fear). External factors - air temperature, atmospheric pressure, room lighting. Chameleon eyes can become lighter or darker, depending on the influence of these factors. Such changes are temporary and not always noticeable.

Attitudes towards a person are often based on how they look. But there are things that have little to do with it. Eye color is given to us from birth, and there are those who have it the rarest. And sometimes they say a lot about the character of the owner, which is sometimes explained quite logically.

It turns out that the rarest eye color on earth is violet . There is hardly anyone who has seen the owner of such eyes. This color appears due to a rare mutation called "Alexandria origin". Immediately at birth, such a patient has the most common color. It changes after 6-10 months.

2nd place.

Red color very rare. It occurs in people and animals with a certain disease. It also comes with white hair color.

3rd place.

Pure green color eyes are very rare. A population study was conducted in Iceland and Holland, which showed that they occur more often in women than in men. The softness of associations is understandable. There is a lot of it in nature - the foliage of plants, the color of some crawling animals, and the color of human organs.

4th place.

Rare are different colored eyes . Scientifically, this phenomenon is called heterochromia. The color may include splashes of other colors, or simply both eyes are colored differently. A rare phenomenon, but original looking.

5th place.

Blue color the eye is considered a variety of blue. But it is somewhat darker and is quite rare.

6th place.

Yellow considered a variety of brown, but is rare. It is generally accepted that such people are endowed with magical powers. They are said to have telepathic abilities. They usually have an artistic nature. If you have no bad thoughts in your mind, then communicating with people with this eye color will bring real joy.

7th place.

Hazel eye color - this is the result of mixing. Lighting can affect its hue, and it can be golden, brown, or brownish-green. Hazel eyes are a common occurrence.

8th place.

Despite the fact that the owners blue eyes They consider themselves to be in the elite category of society; there are quite a lot of them in the world. They are especially common in Europe, in its northern part and the Baltic countries. Among the population of Estonia, owners of blue eyes are found in 99% of the population, in Germany - 75%. It is generally accepted that its owners are softer and less psychologically developed than, say, those with brown eyes. They are considered a variety of gray, although the latter is much more common. In Russia it occurs in almost 50% of cases.

9th place.

Very common in the world black eye color . Its owners usually belong to the Mongoloid race, in South, Southeast and East Asia. Sometimes the color of the pupil and iris merge, which creates the feeling of a completely black eye. Given the prevalence of people living in these regions, black eyes are not uncommon. In this case, the black iris is characterized by a high concentration of the coloring pigment melanin. Accordingly, the color falling on it is absorbed. The color is also found among the Negroid race. The color of the eyeball sometimes has a grayish or yellowish tint.

10th place.

Most common brown eye color . His warm personality speaks volumes about his origins. It has a very large number of shades, ranging from light to dark brown. Its owners are found in the following countries:

• Asia,
• Oceania,
• Africa,
• South America,
• Southern Europe.

Very bright and warm eye color. It has a sea of ​​shades from light to dark brown. It looks quite strange, and, undoubtedly, impressive.