All About Eye Colour
Eye colour and genetics
"What colour will our child's eyes be?" many parents wonder even before the birth. "Blue, green, grey, brown, as dark as their mother's, or will they take after their father's bright blue?" It's not an easy question to answer.
What's certain is that eye colour depends on a person's genetic makeup as well as the body's melanin production. Melanin (from the Greek word for black) refers to reddish, brown or black pigments responsible for the colour of skin, hair and eyes. The more melanin a person has, the darker their eye colour. Brown eyes have the highest melanin content, while blue eyes have the least. Brown eyes are also less light-sensitive than blue eyes, which means they're better protected against UV radiation. That's why brown eyes are more common in southern regions, while people with blue eyes are found more often in the north. The most common eye colour in the world is brown, found in around ninety percent of the population. Only two to three percent of people have green eyes.
The reason many babies are born with blue eyes is that their bodies haven't yet started producing melanin. Toddlers develop their permanent eye colour between their first and second birthday.
