Ever since I was little I never knew what to say when someone asked me what my eye color was. It seemed to change every day, everyone had their own opinion. Blue, green, brown, hazel, grey? I used to ask my mom every morning what color they were that day, What color would I draw them in my pictures at school, what would I answer on a survey, what color they would be so I could relate to my friends. I’ve always wondered what color they truly are, and  today is the day I will find my true eye color. 

The four main eye colors are blue, green, brown, and hazel. Eye color is an inherited trait with multiple genes affecting the shade. “Genes Related to the production of pigments – melanin, eumelanin, and pheomelanin – dictate the color of your skin, hair, and eyes” states Steph Coelho (Medically reviewed by Johnstone M. Kim, MD). Your eye color then reflects a special combination of colors in the iris. The most common eye color in the world is brown with 55% to 79% of the population having this color. The second most common eye color in the world is blue, with 8% to 10% of the population having this color. Then there is hazel with about 10% of the world's population having this coloration. Second to last is green with only 2% of people having this color worldwide. Finally grey/other is less than 1% of the population in the world. But what exactly are the others?

Some “Other” eye colorations can be heterochromia. People with heterochromia often have two different colored eyes. There often is no known reason for this condition, yet sometimes heterochromia is caused by a condition called piebaldism, which is a lack of pigment producing cells in patches of skin, hair, and in heterochromia one eye. Heterochromia isn’t just genetically given at birth. Sometimes people can develop heterochromia later in life from injury, eye surgery, medication, or illness. Only about 1% of people worldwide have this unique eye trait, heterochromia. 

Another form of heterochromia is called central heterochromia, people with central heterochromia have a different eye color near the border of their pupils. Oftentimes people with this rare eye trait have a shade of gold around their pupil or in the center of their iris. This explains why I have a brown/hazel shade in my inner iris, and a different color outside, a mixture of blue and green.

Fun fact: in some ancient cultures, like the Egyptians, Native American tribes, and the Celts, believed heterochromia was thought to be a sign of supernatural abilities, yet now in modern times many people just consider it to be unique or a striking physical feature. This condition is also associated with enhanced creativity and artistic abilities in some traditions. Another cool fact about central heterochromia is that it is seen in less than 1 percent of humans, but more commonly seen in animals. Central heterochromia was even believed to be a trait that Zeus and Athena, who were Greek Gods, had! Overall many cultures seem to have strong beliefs upon eye color, isn’t that cool? 

To sum up my journey of finding my true eye color, through this research I have learned more about myself and other unique traits, learned to embrace my multicolored eyes, and discovered the science behind my true eye color.

Works Cited

Very Well Health. DotDash Meredith, 1 Jan. 2024, www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-the-rarest-eye-color-5087302. Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.