Facts About Eye Color

No two people possess identical eye colors, so your eyes are as unique as an artist easel. Simply stated, our eye color is dependant upon genes that we inherit from our parents. Iris color is a highly complex phenomenon and it created from several variables, such as texture, pigmentation, fibrous tissue and blood vessels within the iris stroma, these effects work together to make up a person’s eye color.

Eye Color and Paternity

Many people are under the misconception that eye color can utilized as a paternity test, however there is no simple genetic determinism for such a complex trait. As a result accurate paternity tests cannot be based on iris pigmentation or its measurements. Do note however, that blue eyes are a recessive trait so a brown-eyed child born from two blue-eyed parents may conjure up some doubt in the paternity of the child.

Heterochromia Iridis

This is an ocular condition where a person has one iris that is a different color from the other iris. This condition is relatively uncommon in humans and usually denotes an ocular disease such as chronic iritis; however it may just be a normal eye color variant.  This condition is often seen in several types of animals. Siberian Huskies often have heterochromia as a result of interbreeding. White cat variations such as White Persians are also likely to show heterochromia.

Artificial Eye Color

Particular eye colors are considered more desirable to some individuals motivating them to invest in motif-expressing contact lenses that will mask their natural iris color with another. These types of contact lenses are almost never needed medically and are not advocated by serious medical professionals except for in rare cases when the iris requires added protection.