Hazel vs Brown Eyes
The color of eyes can be simple as when it is black or brown, but it can also be complex as when it is hazel. Hazel is an eye color that is very hard to define as it keeps on changing between brown to green and is always a mix of brown and green. Many people remain confused as they find their eye color to be shifting from brown to green as if it is dependent upon their mood. This article takes a closer look at hazel eye color to differentiate it from brown eye color.
Brown Eyes
The color of one’s eyes is dependent upon his genetics and a chemical called melanin. The more the iris contains melanin, the more chances of the color of the eye to be brown. Some people have very dark brown eyes giving others a perception of their eyes being almost black. Yet others have light brown eyes and the shades in between are a result of varying amounts of melanin in the iris stroma of the eyes of the individual.
Whether you have dark brown, light brown, green, or even blue eyes is dependent upon not only genetics but also the presence of melanin in the iris of your eyes. So brown eyes have the highest amounts of melanin; green eyes have less of melanin, and people with blue eyes seem to have the least amount of melanin or no melanin at all in their iris.
Brown colored eyes are most common in East and Southeast Asia, Americas, Africa, and some parts of Europe. A high majority of the world population has brown eyes.
Hazel Eyes
Hazel eyes are so called because of the color of hazelnut. They are an interesting mixture of brown and green and the color keeps on changing between pure brown to pure green. This is why this color is hard to define and takes on a totally different hue at times. There are genes called bey 2 and gey that work together to give eyes a particular color. Both genes have their two alleles or versions with one making high amount of melanin and the other allele making little melanin. The allele of bey 2 that makes high amounts of melanin is referred to as B while one that makes no or very little melanin is referred to as b. The allele of gey that makes high melanin is called G while one that makes no or little melanin is called b. If you have B, you will have brown eyes. If you have G without having B allele, you will have green eyes. If you happen to have b alleles of both genes, you will have blue eyes.
Those having hazel colored eyes have more melanin in their iris than those having green eyes, but this quantity is certainly less than those having brown eyes.
Hazel vs Brown Eyes
• Brown eyes are always brown while hazel eyes keep changing color, and they are a mixture of brown and green.
• Brown eyes have more melanin than hazel eyes. Melanin is the pigment that is responsible for giving human eyes their color.
• Hazel color results from Rayleigh scattering and less quantities of melanin in the iris of the individual.
• Hazel eye color is common in Europe and America while it is rare in Asia and the Middle East.