7 Rare Eye Colors People Can Have

BRIGHT SIDE2 minutes read

Brown, blue, and hazel are the most common eye colors globally, with brown eyes being the most prevalent due to high melanin content. Eye color is determined by genetics, with more melanin resulting in browner eyes, and different types of melanin affecting color.

Insights

  • Brown eyes are the most common globally due to high melanin content, while blue eyes are rarer because of light scattering through proteins in the iris.
  • Hazel eyes, representing 5-8% of the population, show a green or yellow tint based on melanin levels, with genetics playing a crucial role in determining eye color variations.

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Recent questions

  • What are the most common eye colors globally?

    Brown, blue, and hazel.

  • How are blue eyes formed?

    Light scattering through proteins in the iris.

  • What determines eye color?

    Genetics and melanin content.

  • What are amber eyes and where are they found?

    Amber eyes vary from copper to gold and are found in South America and Asia.

  • How are green eyes formed?

    A small amount of melanin in the iris mixing with blue light.

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Summary

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Global Eye Color Diversity: Shades and Origins

  • Brown, blue, and hazel are the most common eye colors globally, with brown being the most prevalent due to high melanin content.
  • Blue eyes are rarer, formed by light scattering through proteins in the iris, creating a blue hue known as Rayleigh scattering.
  • Hazel eyes, representing 5-8% of the population, have a green or yellow tint, influenced by the amount and type of melanin in the iris.
  • Eye color is determined by genetics, with more melanin resulting in browner eyes, and two types of melanin - FeO melanin and eumelanin - affecting color.
  • Amber eyes, occurring in less than 5% of eyes worldwide, are found in South America and Asia, varying from copper to gold due to lipo chrome pigment.
  • Green eyes, comprising only 2% of the global population, result from a small amount of melanin in the iris, mixing with blue light to create a green appearance.
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