The Color of Our Eyes

The color of our eyes is one of the unique features we inherit from our parents and is present from birth. The colored part of our eye is called the "iris." Our eye color is determined by the pigmentation of the iris and factors related to how light reflects off the iris. The brown pigment called melanin and a yellowish pigment called lipochrome make up the iris. The density of melanin in iris cells determines the dark eye color, while the abundance of lipochrome results in a lighter eye color. Green is considered the rarest eye color globally. People with green eyes have irises with a low concentration of melanin, particularly found in Northern and Central Europe. The low melanin content gives the eyes a light, bluish color, and the moderate amount of lipochrome contributes to the green hue.