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Asked by cbarge to Jen, Jill, Mel, Phil, Stef on 15 Mar 2013. This question was also asked by toby01, sebisepic.
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Jennifer Paxton answered on 15 Mar 2013:
Ok, this is all about genetics and things called dominant and ressesive traits.
You have a gene that codes for the colour of your eyes ( a gene is really like a special code). You have two copies of the gene, one from your mum and one from your dad and depending on which is dominant ( or most important) that’s the colour of your eyes.
Brown is usually dominant so it takes preference over any code for blue (recessive)
so…. If B is brown eyes and b is blue eyes
Your mum could be Bb and has brown eyes
Your dad could also be bB and have brown eyesIf you get one copy of each from each parent you can 1 of 4 different combinations
BB =brown eyes
Bb = brown eyes
bB = brown eyes
bb= blue eyesIf you have blue eyes then you are pretty special since you’ve got the recessive (kinda hidden!) copy of your mum and dads gene code !
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Stefan Piatek answered on 16 Mar 2013:
Just as a side point too, I just used blue eyes an example of genes turning on and off.
Have you ever wondered why your eyes are blue, but then nothing else is blue? All your cells have the same blueprint that they can work from, but they control what genes they should turn on and off! That’s why your skin isn’t blue but your eyes are!
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Melissa Brereton answered on 17 Mar 2013:
Jennifer answered the question really well. So quite simply, our eye colour is determined by what gene get from our mum and dad. Although they both have blue eyes, they will each have a gene for brown eyes which you have inherited resulting in your brown eyes 🙂
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