• Question: why do i have blue eyes

    Asked by rachele123 to Tim, Suzi, Rachael on 14 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Tim Fosker

      Tim Fosker answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @rachele123

      Eye colour results from several genes that change the pigment in the eye. It used to be thought that bue eyes happened only when two parents with blue eyes had a baby because the gene for blue eyes was ‘recessive’, meaning it was not as strong as the gene for brown eyes. Now we know that eye colour is far more complicated and even parents who both have brown eyes can have a blue eyed baby, but this is very rare.

      I hope that answered your question.

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @rachele123
      Exactly as Tim said, eye colour is inherited from your parents, via your DNA. But because it’s controlled by a number of different genes within your DNA, it’s hard to predict from your parents eye colour what colour your eyes will end up.

      The actual substance in your eye that causes the colour is a pigment in 2 layers of your iris, and the thickness of those layers. The combination of the pigment and the thickness determines what colour your eyes appear!

      My eyes are quite hard to define, they’re sort of blue-y grey-y green-y, but they change depending on the weather, and what clothes I’m wearing! Strange!

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