At the end, what we got was a blonde map of Europe. The color of our eyes depends on how much melanin is present in the iris. All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. For other uses, see, "Blue eyes" redirects here. Sharing the rank of first in the world with Estonia, Finland also has a whopping 89 percent of its population with blue eyes. Most researchers believe that blue-eyed individuals may be more dominant among certain populations and less present in others. The iris has two layers. New research shows that people with blue eyes have a single, common ancestor. Dark brown eyes are dominant in humans. That's more in line with the hair color's natural occurrence. Now, lets get back to our main questions, which country has the most blue eyes and which country has the most blondes. 2012;36(2):234-240. doi:10.1007/s00266-011-9793-x, Di Stasio E, Maggi D, Berardesca E, et al. The top layer, called the epithelium, is where the melanin (pigment) that gives an eye its color lives. An estimated 89 percent of Estonians have blue eyes. Some of the eye-color genes include OCA2 and HERC2. She specializes in cornea, cataracts, external eye disease, and refractive surgery. The iris is the colored part of the eye that surrounds the pupil. Boys are 3 percent to 5 percent likelier to have blue eyes than girls, but beyond that it's a non-issue -- physiologically speaking. Are Blue-Eyed People More Likely to Get Macular Degeneration? Approximately 27% of people in the United States and between 8% and 10% of the world's population have blue eyes. This melanin is the brown pigment responsible for eye color, hair, and skin color. At the same time, nearly half of the U.S. population has brown eyes. After green, gray is the second-rarest natural eye color, with 3% of the worlds population having gray eyes. Green 2.0%. "[55][56][57], Blue eyes are predominant in northern and eastern Europe, particularly around the Baltic Sea. [15][16], People of European descent show the greatest variety in eye color of any population worldwide. The Greek goddess Athene appears with gray eyes (). There are many other possible reasons for having two different-colored eyes. About half as many Americans have blue eyes as brown eyes. The highest percentages of fair-haired people can be found around the Baltic Sea (e.g. That's 13 million people, out of the 7.6 billion on Earth. Almost everyone (even people with blue or green eyes) has brown pigment in the back layer of the iris. This is due to meager amounts of melanin in the iris, which allows the underlying blood vessels to show through. Blue eyes percentage: 50-80. On average, they have 90,000 strands, while blondes . According to the World Atlas, between 75% and 85% of the world's population has dark . An iris that appears golden contains some melanin even at this early age and is likely to turn from blue to green or brown as the infant ages. has been associated with changes in eye color in up to 33 percent of those taking it for 5 years or longer . Likewise, brown eyes have the most amount of melanin, while blue eyes have the least. If you have a darker iris color, you are at a greater risk of developing this eye disease. In humans, this pigmentation of the iris depends on the melanin concentration in the iris pigment epithelium, it's content within the iris stroma, as well as the cellular density of the stroma. Around 70% to 80% of the people also have blue eyes. Blue eyes with a brown spot, green eyes, and gray eyes are caused by an entirely different part of the genome. Furnace, Boiler or Heat Pump? 2000-2023 AAV Media, LLC. Activities of melanocytes are responsible for our skin pigmentation, as it is familiar, and also eye and hair color. International Journal of Ophthalmology. Follow. How eye color develops and why it changes. Green irises, for example, have some yellow and the blue structural color. If this gene activation never happens, a baby's eyes will stay blue. In 2016, scientists found that our pale skin complexion is inherited from just one man who lived thousands of years ago. 8. About 5% of the worlds population and 18% of Americans have hazel eyes -- a mixture of green, gold, and orange. As the child develops, melanocytes (cells found within the iris of human eyes, as well as skin and hair follicles) slowly begin to produce melanin. A whopping 70 to 80% of the worlds population have brown or darkly pigmented irises, making brown the most common eye color worldwide. Finland is the first among the top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage of population. It was created by the anthropologists Rudolf Martin and Bruno K Schultz in the first half of the 20th century. This article discusses where blue eyes come from and how having blue eyes may increase your risk for certain health conditions. So, therefore blue eyes and blond hair are mostly distributed throughout the northernmost parts of the world, which makes northern Europe the region with the highest percentage of blue eyes by country in the world. A baby's eyes may be blue during this time, but later change color. For centuries, it's been noted that blue eyes are considered more attractive than other eye colors. However, some studies have suggested that many of these may be more blue-grey in color meaning they contain even less melanin than their blue-eyed cousins. Is eye color determined by genetics? MDQL won't back down. Two percent of humans worldwide have blond hair; and 5 percent of whites in the U.S., according to the researchers. While researchers can't yet prove eye color indicates a hearing problem, they did find that those with lighter-colored eyes had more significant hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. Hazel eyes: What determines hazel eye color. This would be analogous to the change in the color of the sky, from the blue given by the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight by small gas molecules when the sky is clear, to the gray caused by Mie scattering of large water droplets when the sky is cloudy. [37][39][42][44], Around 18% of the US population and 5% of the world population have hazel eyes. Although the stereotypical constatation is that Swedes are tall, blue-eyed and blond, those assumptions have never actually been confirmed. But also some genetic researches have shown that Danish Vikings were more red-haired than Swedish Vikings for example who were mainly blond. "They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA.". 9. [89] David Bowie, on the other hand, had the appearance of different eye colors due to an injury that caused one pupil to be permanently dilated. Denmark - Approximately 60%. Comments. Since we are slowly coming to the epicenter top countries that have the most blondes and blue eyes as a percentage ofpopulation, Denmark is the first country of Vikings that we come by. Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Blue eyes are also found in Central Asia, North Africa, South Asia, West Asia, and Southern Europe. [79] A gray iris may indicate the presence of a uveitis, and an increased risk of uveal melanoma has been found in those with blue, green or gray eyes. Pigmentation, the Pilous System, and Morphology of the Soft Parts", "A Single DNA Difference in the HERC2 Gene Explains Blue Eyes | Understanding Genetics", "How one ancestor helped turn our brown eyes blue", "All Blue-Eyed People Have This One Thing in Common", "Blue eyes are increasingly rare in America - Americas - International Herald Tribune (Published 2006)", "Don't it make my blue eyes brown Americans are seeing a dramatic color change", "Prediction of eye color in the Slovenian population using the IrisPlex SNPs", "Are gray eyes the same as blue in terms of genetics?". All About Vision does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. In addition to red eyes, some people with albinism can also have actual "violet-colored" eyes. There is some research that shows people do say blue eyes along with bright whites of the eyes and large pupils are ideal marks of beauty. Known for their beautiful, pale blue eyes and milky-white skin, Swedes stand out wherever they go. Originally, all human eyes were brown. It is, therefore, interesting to note how eye colors vary worldwide and the different percentages of people in the world that have brown, blue, hazel, amber, green, and gray eyes. About 93 percent of Han Chinese carry the variant, as do about 70 percent of people in Japan and Thailand, and 60 to 90 percent of American Indians, a population descended from East Asians. Rather than including a blue pigment, they actually just lack the pigment that makes eyes brown. Light or medium-pigmented brown eyes can also be commonly found in South Europe, among the Americas, and parts of Central Asia, West Asia and South Asia. We all know those people whose eyes look nothing like their parents, but there was some cousin or ancestor in their family that they resemble much to. developed a graded system based on the predominant iris color and the amount of brown or yellow pigment present. Two factors affect the color of ones eyes: the pigmentation of the eyes iris and the frequency of light scattering by the murky medium in the iris stroma. Now, as Paul Rincon of the BBC reports, genome analysis has revealed that Cheddar Man had dark brown skin and blue eyesa discovery that adds to a growing body of research indicating that the . This is because - according to research - redheads are more sensitive to hot and cold pain. Photochromic lenses are another way to protect blue eyes from UV radiation. This anomaly, which film producers thought would be disturbing to film audiences, was "corrected" by having Van Cleef wear brown contact lenses. This occurs in humans and certain breeds of domesticated animals and affects less than 1 percent of the world's population. (The name of the gene is derived from the disorder it causes, oculocutaneous albinism type II.) These clear lenses block 100% UV both indoors and outside, and automatically darken when they're exposed to outdoor sunlight. The iris is the colored part of your eye that has multiple layers. What do the numbers on your eyeglass frames mean? Diabetes Metab Res Rev. Hazel eyes are due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris' anterior border layer. [78] People with lighter eye colors, such as blue or green, have lessened protection from the sun, and so need greater protection from the sun's rays than those with darker eye colors. Known for their beautiful fair hair and blue eyes, Denmark people stand out from other cultures. [54] In 2008, new research tracked down one genetic mutation that leads to blue eyes. Their numbers: The stats for the United States shake out a bit differently. Hereditary deafness is a major concern in white cats, and even more so if one or both irises are blue in color. Scientists assume that this genetic mutation might have happened somewhat between 5,000 and 3,000 ago, under the assumption that it was an evolutionary adaptation connected to competition for mates. Also, hazel eyes may appear to shift in color and consist of flecks and ripples, while amber eyes are of a solid gold hue. The iris is the colored part of the eye. [45], Green eyes probably result from the interaction of multiple variants within the OCA2 and other genes. These include: The term Anisocoria comes from three Greek words: aniso, which means unequal; kore, which means pupil; and ia, which means abnormal condition. Plus, although this cancer is extremely rare, light-eyed folks are also more susceptible to sun damage from exposure to UV rays. Definitions of the eye color hazel vary: it is sometimes considered to be synonymous with light brown or gold, as in the color of a hazelnut shell. But lets not get things too scientific at this point. The color can be from the very pale blond (caused by a patchy, scarce distribution of pigment) to reddish "strawberry" blond or golden-brownish ("sandy") blond . [77], The most important role of melanin in the iris is to protect the eyes from the sun's harmful rays. - VeryWell Health, Interesting Facts about Eye Color - Heffingtons, The World's Population By Eye Color - World Atlas. So, the more melanin you have, the darker your eyes appear. There is no blue pigmentation either in the iris or in the vitreous body. Home Improvement / story. ", "Genetic mutation makes those brown eyes blue", "Blue eyes result of ancient genetic 'mutation', "Distribution of Bodily Characters. Heterozygous Genotype: Traits and Diseases, Choosing the Best Sunglasses to Protect Your Eyes, hearing loss after being exposed to loud noises. The mutation causes a lowered production of melanin which is a pigment located in the eyes that determines its color. If you have ever been curious about the exact percentage of people with blue eyes in different parts of the world, look no further. As many as 16 genes influence eye color by determining the amount of melanin in the cells of the iris. Surely it would be easier to answer the question about what percent of the world has brown hair, but lets see what the issue with the blondes is. 27 % of the 7.6 billion on Earth natural eye color - world Atlas shown that Danish Vikings more... Multiple layers will stay blue of Europe risk of developing this eye disease time, but later color... Between 8 % and 10 % of the 7.6 billion on Earth and. They 're exposed to outdoor sunlight eyes brown have actual `` violet-colored '' eyes and! Eyes from UV radiation iris ' anterior border layer the epithelium, is where melanin. 'Re exposed to outdoor sunlight nearly half of the iris, which country has the most amount of in! 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