A variety of green eyes. Eye color variations: amber, red, black, green

Eye color in humans is inherited by one of many genes. Already from the moment of conception, a person is predestined to have one or another shade of the iris. However, even scientists cannot say with 100 percent 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 basic shades

The color of the eyes of people is absolutely 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, the green color is the rarest of the 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 is 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, a baby's eyes are usually light green or cloudy gray. After a few months, the tone of the iris changes. This happens due to melanin, which accumulates and forms the color of the eyes. The more melanin, the darker the iris. The color, which is laid down by genes, appears at about one year of age, but it will finally form only by 5, and in some cases even 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 eye color a child will have. However, there are some patterns that suggest what the eyes of a person will be like. These patterns can be seen in examples:

• If mom and dad have blue eyes, then the probability of having a child with the same shade of the iris is 99%. 1% is left on green, which is the rarest of the four majors.
• If one parent has blue eyes and the other has green eyes, then the child has green or blue eyes with a 50% chance.
• If dad and mom are green-eyed, then the probability of having a baby with a green tint of the iris is 75%, 24% - cases of the birth of a baby with blue eyes, 1% - with brown.
• 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.
• In brown-eyed parents, children in 75% of cases will also be brown-eyed. Green-eyed children can be born to them with a probability of 18%, and blue-eyed children - with a probability of 7%.

It is worth taking into account that the blue color of the eyes of a child may subsequently become sky blue, gray-green - emerald green, 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 it has an unusual color from birth. There are completely rare shades that are 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 humans

The first place in the list "The rarest eye color" is purple. This shade is obtained by mixing blue and red tones, few people have seen people with a purple iris. According to geneticists, purple eyes are similar to blue, that is, they are a variant or pigment of blue. It is assumed that the purple eye color in the world is found only among the inhabitants of Northern Kashmir. Also, the legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor had lilac eyes. Violet varieties include ultramarine, amethyst and hyacinth.

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

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

• Greeneyes 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, 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 is dark green. Actress Tilda Swinton has bright emerald green eyes, while Charlize Theron has a calmer, light green iris. Among the men with green eyes, one can recall Tom Cruise and Clive Owen.

Another rare color is red. Most often, red eyes occur in albinos, although with albinism, the iris is usually brown or blue. The iris acquires a red color if the melanin pigment is absent. Because of this, eye color is determined by translucence through the iris of blood vessels. If the red hue is mixed with the blue tint of the stroma, the eyes may take on a purplish color that is closer to violet.

Amber eye color, which is a type of hazel, is also very rare. Amber eyes are usually bright, clear with a very pronounced golden tone throughout the iris. Amber varieties are golden green, reddish copper, yellowish brown and golden brown. True amber eyes, which can somewhat resemble the eyes of a wolf, are practically not found in nature. However, shades of amber are also quite beautiful and rare.

Fifth place in the top of unusual eye colors is black. It, in fact, is another kind of karego. The black iris contains a lot of melanin, the amount of which determines the intensity of the color. Due to 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 the peoples of Africa. In Caucasians, it is less common, but more common than purple, green and amber eyes. The famous owner of black eyes was the British actress Audrey Hepburn. Varieties of black: bluish 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 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 is formed about six months after the birth of a child, when the pigment begins to be produced. If it is distributed unevenly, the eyes acquire different shades.

Most often, congenital heterochromia occurs in women, although there is no scientific explanation for this. In men, the eyes also come in different colors, but much less often. But they have heterochromia manifested in a more unusual form.

Varieties 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 painted in different shades. It can be divided in two tones in half, in quarters or have wavy color borders. As a rule, partial heterochromia is observed in children from two to four years. Subsequently, melanin is distributed evenly. If this does not happen, it is necessary to check 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 there are two or more rings of several colors in one iris. There are no more than a dozen such people all over the world.

Heterochromia, which has genetic prerequisites, 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 the lightening of the iris. There are other, more rare pathologies, accompanied by a change in the color of the iris. Among them:

• Posner-Schlossmann 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 the 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 the color of the iris is chameleon eyes that change color. A change in the shade of the iris can occur as a result of natural causes and under the influence of external factors. Emotions (stress, fear) are natural. External factors - air temperature, atmospheric pressure, lighting in the room. Chameleon eyes can become lighter or darker, depending on the influence of these factors. Such changes are temporary and not always noticeable.

The shade of the eyes affects the distinctive features in the behavior of the individual, on appearance. Under the shade, individual make-up, wardrobe items, jewelry are selected, which in the future will affect taste preferences and style. Making up the first impression of the interlocutor, people take into account his eye color. Usually a rare and extraordinary eye shade is remembered more than some simple one.

The color is determined by the corresponding gene, therefore, from the moment of fertilization, the shade will already be laid down in the child. Scientists determine about 8 existing shades which are the most common. But on the planet there are people who have a rather rare shade. Have you ever seen a person with a purple or red congenital tint? It happens, it's not a fairy tale. Sometimes it happens that people have unusual eyes, consider such situations.

common color

The most predominant shade is still brown. Only the Baltic countries do not fall under this definition, since a large number of people whose hair color is light, as a result many residents are blue-eyed.

Nature has its own principles, therefore people with a brown tint prevail in the sunny regions of the planet located in the southern latitudes. Brown has a peculiarity - the more bright sun in the place where people live, the darker their brown colors are. After all, only a shade with a predominantly dark color can protect the iris from blinding sunlight.

Another unusual factor is that almost all the peoples of the Far North, where low temperatures prevail, also have a brown tint. Here, the dark pigment will protect the eye socket from light, blinding light. Therefore, it is not easy for light-eyed people to look outside in winter.

Brown-eyed colors are tied with Venus and the Sun. It is believed that from the sun he got an ardent and hot character, and from Venus he got lightness. This may be true, but such people are also described as cold in relationships with strangers, selfish and self-loving. It is accepted that they quickly become attached to a person, but their affection can disappear just as quickly. Brown-eyed people have no difficulty in communicating with close friends, they can always support and find a topic for conversation. They like to communicate, but they talk mostly about themselves. And it is also important for them that they are able to listen, while they themselves are poorly able to listen.

Experts decided to interview people about eye shades, and were amazed that people with brown eyes evoke a sense of trust and confidence in many of the respondents. Showing pictures of people who have had their eye color changed is still a higher percentage of people made a choice in favor of brown-eyed. This was due to the fact that brown-eyed people have a special type of appearance that gives a pleasant feeling. So, if you put several people with a different eye color next to each other, more people will still choose brown-eyed.

Common color for Northerners

Most of the population living in the north of Europe has a grayish-green hue. It is this color that is more common, but when you see a face with a clear green or clear gray eye color, this will no longer be uncommon. For medical reasons, the iris is colored in this shade due to blood vessels located in the shell, which make it bluish.

And also with this, an insignificant amount of melanin penetrates into the iris, which is too small to color the eye in a dark or brown shade. Ultimately, eyes are obtained that will be rebuilt depending on the emotions and processes occurring in the body, like chameleons.

The nature of people who have a gray-green hue is characterized as quick-tempered and slightly defiant. Although such aggression can be observed only by external signs, inside they are very soft, trusting of people and capable of accept all difficulties falling on their lives. An unusual factor is that such people can live next to a person for whom they do not have much love and feelings, but at the same time respect his spiritual qualities. This color goes well with any range of casual wear and looks good with makeup in dark shades.

blue eye color

Today, blue-eyed people cannot be considered a rarity, although we do not see them on every corner. Most people with this coloration are found among European peoples. For example, nations such as Estonians or Germans are blue-eyed.

Gray and blue color appears predominantly due to the saturation of the membrane with melanin. There are various shades: from mouse light gray to deep blue. They vary from the type of lighting and the emotional mood of their owner.

When meeting blue-eyed people, be sure that you are facing a person who is creative in nature, who has constant changes in mood. Most often, such people have distinctive features in front of the surrounding people in their character and appearance. They have contradictory qualities, for example, they begin to feel sad during the general fun. These people prefer constant change in manual work, have fickle choices in their decisions and point of view. But behind all this, truly important qualities can be hidden: love, sentimentality, high feelings for loved ones and can give everything for the sake of their relatives.

First of all, shade due to the amount of dye in the iris of the eye. It is at the time of birth that the child has light eyes, but sometimes brown-eyed newborn children also occur. Over time, the color begins to change. The formation of color development ends at the age of 13. But by old age, it begins to noticeably fade, which is determined by a decrease in the number of pigment in the shell.

In most cases, color is associated with a feature of hair and skin color. In the classical view - persons with dark skin tone and dark hair, are also located with dark eyes, for example, African and Asian nationality. But fair-haired and fair-skinned people have blue or blue eyes. These include the Swedes and people of the Slavic group.

• Rare green eyes

Unfortunately, before the green color of the eyes was considered by people as a sign of magic and mystical power. It was believed that people with this color are endowed with magical powers and magical abilities. Until now, scientists are wondering why the green color has become so extraordinary. Total about two percent out of a billion people living all over our planet are green in color.

A large number of opinions on this topic come to the answer that in ancient times people with such eye color were exterminated. Girls with green eyes were suspected of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Women were considered outcasts, excluded from society.

As a rule, there are several times more women with green eyes than males. But if in ancient times most girls at a young age fell on the fire, then what kind of procreation could we talk about? However, the men themselves were afraid to be near such girls, fearing the witch's gift.

In green-eyed people, the coloring matter, melanin, is produced in very small doses. And also the green tint is more common among the female, as a result of which it is quite difficult to meet a man with a green tint of the eyes.

If we consider the most populated countries with green-eyed residents, then there are more of them in Iceland and Holland. Although experts have formed a group of eight main shades, but the green color is so unusual that it was not even included in this group.

• Swamp eye color

Swamp eyes are called such eyes in which a combination of several colors occurs and it is impossible to accurately name the color of the eyes. The shade of color is characterized as something between gray and brown. This color is also the rarest eye color.

• sapphire eyes

We almost never see a face with purple eyes in everyday life. There is a version that purple arose due to transformation processes. But it doesn't make much of a difference effects on visual acuity and safe for him. From the point of view of genetic science, purple color is just one of the variants of blue eyes, or a reflection of the pigment in darker colors. There is evidence that some residents in one area of ​​Northern Cashmere have this unusual sapphire coloration.

In medicine, there is a theory that purple can be a factor in the appearance of a disease such as Marchesani syndrome. Although the description of the disease does not indicate a change in eye color, the characteristics of Marchesani syndrome include: short stature, underdevelopment of certain bones, and various eye diseases. So we can firmly say that nature gave these people rare and unusual beauty, which distinguishes them from millions of people on Earth.

• Red eye tint

In another way, red-eyed people are called albinos. This shade occurs when melanin is completely absent in the iris. Because of this, the iris turns red under the action of blood vessels and various fibers. In some cases, when red and blue are combined, purple is formed.

Amber eye color can be called one of the brown color options. This is a light, bright shade that has warm notes. A truly amber eye color in everyday life can be seen very rarely, so it is considered unique, it can be compared with the eyes of some predator.

• Black color

This color is not that rare. The color occurs due to the high concentration of melanin in the shell of the eyes. Therefore, when light hits the iris, it will be completely absorbed. Most of all he common among Africans.

All colors are universal indicators of a person's personality and character. Each of us should be proud of our eye color, as it is truly the most unique and beautiful.

According to research scientists and statistics, the rarest eye color is green. Its owners make up only 2% of the total population of the planet.

The green hue of the iris is determined by a very small amount of melanin. In its outer layer, there is a yellow or very light brown pigment called lipofuscin. In the stroma, a blue or blue tint is present and diffuses. The combination of diffuse tint and lipofucin pigment gives green eyes.

As a rule, the distribution of this color is uneven. Basically, there are a lot of its shades. It is extremely rare in its pure form. There is an unproven theory that green-eyedness is related to the red hair gene.

Why green eyes are rare

In an attempt to find out why green eyes are rare today, one should look for possible reasons back to the Middle Ages, namely the time when the Holy Inquisition was a very influential institution of power. According to her doctrines, the owners of green eyes were accused of witchcraft, ranked as accomplices of the dark forces and burned at the stake. This situation, which lasted for several centuries, almost completely replaced the already recessive green iris gene from the phenotype of the inhabitants of Central Europe. And since pigmentation is an inherited trait, the chance of its manifestation has decreased significantly. So green eyes have become an infrequent occurrence.

Over time, the situation has somewhat leveled off, and now green-eyed can be found in Northern and Central Europe, and sometimes even in its southern part. Most often they can be seen in Germany, Scotland, Iceland and Holland. It is in these countries that the green-eye gene predominates and, interestingly, is seen more frequently in women than in men.

In its pure form, namely the shade of spring grass, green is still a rarity. Basically, its diverse variations are found: gray-green and marsh.

On the territory of Asia, South America and the Middle East, dark eyes predominate, mainly.

If we talk about the distribution and predominance of individual shades of the iris in Russia, the situation is as follows: 6.37% of the population has dark eyes, 50.17% of the population have eyes of the transitional type, for example, hazel-green, and representatives of light eyes - 43.46%. All shades of green belong to them.

mystery gene

rare eye colors

Color geography

Heterochromia

The psychology of color

Perception by others

There are no two people in the world with exactly the same eye color. All children at birth have eyes of a dull blue color due to the lack of melanin, but in the future they acquire one of the few shades that will remain a person for life.

mystery gene

As early as the end of the 19th century, there was a hypothesis that human ancestors had exceptionally dark eyes. Hans Eiberg, a contemporary Danish scientist at the University of Copenhagen, has carried out scientific studies confirming and developing this idea. According to research results, the OSA2 gene responsible for light shades of the eyes, whose mutations turn off the standard color, appeared only during the Mesolithic period (10,000-6,000 BC). Hans has been collecting evidence since 1996 and concluded that OCA2 regulates the production of melanin in the body, and any changes in the gene reduce this ability and disrupt its functioning, making the eyes blue. The professor also claims that all the blue-eyed inhabitants of the Earth have common ancestors, tk. this gene is inherited.

However, different forms of the same gene, alleles, are always in a state of competition, and the darker color always “wins”, as a result of which parents with blue and brown eyes will have brown-eyed children, and only a blue-eyed couple can have a baby with cold eyes.

rare eye colors

There are only about 2% of truly green-eyed people in the world, and most of them live in the northern countries of Europe. On the territory of Russia, uneven green shades of the eyes are often found, with an admixture of brown or gray pigment. Also an incredible exception are black eyes, although they are much more common than others. The iris of such eyes is characterized by a high concentration of melanin, which almost completely absorbs light. Many people believe that red eyes are inherent in all albinos, although in reality this is the exception rather than the rule (most albinos have brown or blue eyes). Red eyes are the result of a lack of melanin in the ectodermal and mesodermal layers, when blood vessels and collagen fibers “shine through”, determining the color of the iris. A very rare color is a variety of the most common - we are talking about amber, sometimes yellow eyes.

This color appears as a result of the presence of the pigment lipochrome, which is also found in green-eyed people. This rare eye color is found in some animal species such as wolves, cats, owls and eagles.

Color geography

Professor Eiberg suggested the geographic coordinates where the mutational processes of the "blue-eyed" gene began. According to the scientist, it all began, oddly enough, in the northern regions of Afghanistan, between India and the Middle East. During the Mesolithic period, the Aryan tribes were located here. By the way, the division of the languages ​​of the Indo-European group also belongs to this period. At the moment, the most common eye color in the world is brown, with the exception of the Baltic countries. Blue and blue eyes are the most common among the European population.

For example, in Germany, 75% of the population can boast of such eyes, and in Estonia, all 99%. Blue and blue eyes are common among the population of Europe, especially in the Baltic states and Northern Europe, often found in the Middle East (Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran). Among Ukrainian Jews, 53.7% have this eye color. Gray eye color is common in Eastern and Northern Europe, and in Russia there are about 50% of carriers of this color. Brown-eyed residents in our country are about 25%, blue-eyed of various shades - 20%, but carriers of a rare green and dark, almost black color in total make up no more than 5% of Russians.

Heterochromia

This amazing phenomenon is expressed in the different color of the eyes of one person or animal. Most often, heterochromia is genetically determined. For example, breeders and breeders intentionally breed cats and dogs with different eye colors. In humans, there are three types of this feature: complete, central and sectoral heterochromia. According to the names, in the first case, both eyes have their own, often contrasting shade. The most common color of one eye is brown and the other is blue. Central heterochromia is characterized by the presence of several full-fledged colored rings of the iris of one eye. Sector heterochromia - uneven color of one eye in several shades. There are three separate pigments that characterize eye color - blue, brown and yellow, the amount of which forms the mysterious shades in heterochromia, which occurs in about 10 out of 1000 people.

The psychology of color

Professor Joan Rob from Lowville University, USA, argues that blue-eyed people are more prone to strategic thinking and play golf better, while brown-eyed people have a good memory, are very reasonable and temperamental.

Astrologers and psychologists like to mention the relationship between eye color and a person’s character. Most often they say, for example, that blue-eyed people are persistent and sentimental, but they can be arrogant. The gray-eyed are smart, but powerless in matters that require a sensual approach, while the green-eyed, for example, are gentle and, at the same time, are too principled. Such conclusions are not always based on statistical studies and surveys. There is also a rational scientific grain here. For example, scientists have discovered the PAX6 gene, which plays a major role in iris pigmentation and personality type. It is involved in the development of the part of the frontal lobe that is responsible for empathy and self-control. Thus, it can be argued that the character of a person and the color of his eyes are biologically interconnected, but research in this area is still not enough to consider such statements scientific.

Perception by others

In the United States, a study was conducted with the participation of a thousand women from 16 to 35 years old. Its results are quite interesting: blue and gray eyes give the owner the image of a “sweet” (42%) and kind (10%) person, green eyes are associated with sexuality (29%) and cunning (20%), and brown eyes with a developed intellect ( 34%) and kindness (13%).

Researchers at Charles University in Prague conducted an unusual experiment to find out the degree of trust in people depending on the color of their eyes. The largest percentage of participants recognized the brown-eyed people in the photo as more trustworthy. During the experiment, scientists showed new photographs in which they changed the color of the eyes of the same people, as a result of which curious conclusions were drawn. It turned out that the facial features inherent in brown-eyed people rather than the eye color itself, as such, evokes trust. For example, brown-eyed men are more likely to have raised corners of the lips, wide chin and large eyes, while blue-eyed men have a narrow mouth, small eyes and lowered corners of the lips. Brown-eyed women appear to be considered more reliable, although statistically this is less pronounced than in the case of dark-eyed men.

The first thing that attracts in a person and tunes in to communication is the eyes. Eye color is considered a gift of nature, fate and parents. It makes a person different from others, unlike, and sometimes unique. To find out what is the rarest eye color and why some lucky people can boast of it, you need to turn to information from biology and medicine.

3. Green color: red and freckled eyes. Owners of green eyes are Eastern and Western Slavs. These are residents of Germany, Iceland, as well as Turks. A pure green tint of the eyes is characteristic of no more than 2% of the world's population. Mostly, carriers of the green eye gene are women. It is believed that such a rarity is due to the times of the Inquisition - then red-haired green-eyed women were considered witches and put on fire for communication with evil spirits.

4. Amber-colored eyes: from golden to marsh. This variety of brown color is distinguished by warmth and light. A rather rare species in its yellowish-gold coloration is similar to the eyes of a wolf. That is what they are sometimes called. They can turn into a red-copper shade. This color is also called walnut. Eyes of this shade are usually endowed with vampires or werewolves.

5. Black color: passionate eyes. True black color is not common, it is only a shade of hazel. In the iris of such eyes is so great amount melanin pigment that it completely absorbs all light rays. Therefore, the eyes appear jet black. More often they can be found among representatives of the Negroid race, as well as the inhabitants of Asia.

Unknown facts about human eyes

7 out of 10 people have brown eyes.

With the help of a special laser operation, brown eyes can be turned into bluish ones. It is believed that if melanin is removed from the iris, then under it there will be a blue tint.

10,000 years ago, all people living on the Black Sea coast looked at the world with brown eyes. Then, as a result of genetic changes, blue eyes appeared.

The yellow hue of the iris, or as it is called "wolf's eye", is often found among many animals, birds, fish and even domestic cats.

Heterochromia is a disease in which the eyes are painted in different colors. This rare anomaly occurs in only 1% of people on the planet. According to signs, such people are happy and successful in life. It was believed that if a person has eyes of different colors, then he is associated with the devil or a demon. These prejudices can be explained by the fear of the inhabitants of everything unknown and unusual.

There is still debate about what is the rarest eye color. Some give the palm to a green tint, some scientists insist on the possibility of the existence of the elect with purple eyes on the planet. Many talk about acceptable color effects when varying degrees illumination, when the eyes can appear amber, and lilac, and red. However, the color of the iris is unique for everyone.