Genetics of Eye Color

Abstract

Eye color is a hereditary trait, which results from the presence of specific pigment, melanin, in the stroma of the iris. Similarly to the skin color and hair color, the hue of the iris depends on the amount and distribution of melanin-producing cells, melanocytes. The more melanin is deposited into the iris of the eye, the darker the eye color. Three most common eye colors in humans are: brown, blue and green. Brown color is the most frequently found eye color, and estimated 42% of human population have brown eyes. While the amount of melanin produced is regulated mainly by the genes, other factors, such as metabolic or neurological diseases, nutrition, particularly iron and zinc intake, and exposure to ultraviolet light play a role in iris pigmentation.

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• Genes and chromosomes coding for eye color
• Patterns of inheritance
• Unusual patterns of eye color inheritance
• Evolution of human eye color
• Distribution of eye colors among different ethnic groups

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