In fact, human eye color continues to develop and change until the age of 3. However, the human eye is not truly black. Many people mistakenly believe that our eyes are black due to light, reflections from clothing, or the use of colored contact lenses.
1. Human genes don't have black eyes
The color of our eyes is determined by our genes, and there are approximately 16 different genes responsible for this trait. Among these genes, the HERC2 and OCA2 genes play a major role in fine-tuning eye color by regulating the amount of melanin in our irises.
This melanin variation leads to a diverse range of hues, including blue and gray. However, it's important to note that the darkest possible eye color is a very dark brown, not black.
2. Black eyes make us cry all the time
Black objects absorb more light and appear pure black. The excess light and energy they absorb are converted into heat.
This could mean that if humans had truly black eyes, a lot of tears would be needed to keep them from getting too hot and dry.
3. Our eyes will not be protected from harmful rays
Black eyes make it difficult for people to go out. You see, sunlight contains ultraviolet rays, and black objects absorb ultraviolet rays more easily than other colors.
Long-term exposure to UV rays can damage eye health and lead to problems like cataracts or skin cancer.
However, due to genetic makeup, the pigments in the iris that provide color protect us from UV rays.
Studies have shown that melanin can destroy over 99.9% of the UV radiation it absorbs, protecting our eyes from the damage caused by sun exposure.
The rarest natural eye color is actually green. Only about 2% of the world's population has green eyes. A very small number of people also have red or purple eyes due to ocular albinism, and two different colored irises due to heterochromia.
