Eye Colour & You

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What makes up the colors of a human eye? Why are some people born with brown eyes, and others blue, while there are a few with green or hazel and even less with amber or violet eyes? The answer lies in the amount of melanin found in the iris of the eye.

Melanin is produced in the body by oxidation of tyrosine, an amino acid. It is produced by melanocytes, and forms the base colouring not only of human skin, eyes, and hair but also bird feathers, mammal hair, and the shell of invertebrates. Melanin is also found in mushrooms, who use it like humans to ward off the effects of the sun on the skin. Some plants like bananas and chestnuts also contain melanin, and this can be seen when their outer layers turn brown wth age.

In the eye, melanin also helps protect from age related disorders due to sun exposure – for example if you have darker eyes you are less inclined to the effects of sun exposure. Melanin also causes a yellowing process in the iris which furthers this protection as you age.

While melanin’s influence on eye colour is interesting, some scientists think it can tell us more about people, such as their brain composition, and even their personality.  While these studies are far from conclusive, it is interesting to know that science is using cues from the outer body to try and understand the inner body.

What do you think?  Can you tell something about a person by their eye colour?  Are eyes truly the “window to the soul”?  Let me know on Facebook or in the comments.