The father has gray eyes, the mother has the green eyes of a child. How to find out the color of the eyes of an unborn child

If before the birth of a baby, parents are only interested in the sex of their future child, then later they are concerned with one question - what kind of eyes the child will have. The regularity table, fortunately, will help determine what eye color they can count on. To determine this, knowledge of the school curriculum about recessive and dominant genes is required, but in the modern information world there is no need to disappear for hours in libraries, surrounded by a bunch of books about biology. It is enough to go to the Internet and get the corresponding table.

Despite the fact that even she will not give one hundred percent accuracy in predicting eye color, this does not stop parents. More information about the genetic relationship of eye color between relatives will be discussed in this article.

Eye color - what factors does it depend on

According to Gregor Mendel's law of the transmission of hereditary traits, the child is transmitted from his parents not only the appearance or character traits behavior, but also eye color. This pattern can be explained by the structural features of the iris, or rather, by the presence of melanin pigment in it and its quantity. This pigment is also responsible for appearance skin and hair color of a person.

Note! By studying the spectrum of colors, scientists have found that Blue eyes due to the small amount of melanin, in most cases they are at the same pole. And due to the large amount of pigment Brown eyes, respectively, will be on the other. If we talk about all other colors, then they are approximately in the intervals between the previously mentioned poles.

You can predict using the necessary table and the results of numerous studies by scientists for this, but such information cannot be called absolutely reliable, so parents should not be surprised later that the results of their calculations did not coincide with the appearance of the newborn. According to statistics, 9 out of 10 babies have blue eyes at birth, but over the years, the color of the iris may change. This is normal, so if your child's eyes gradually change color, don't panic.

Age-related changes are due to the fact that melanin accumulates in the iris on an ongoing basis, up to the change in the eyes to a shade due to genetics. As a rule, such changes are observed as early as the age of 12 months, but there may be exceptions. The complete transformation of eye color comes to the final stage, as a rule, at the age of 2 to 3 years, sometimes the process is delayed up to 4 years.

What are the eyes of children at birth

The formation of the shade of the movable diaphragm of the baby's eye occurs on later dates pregnancy, but immediately after birth, almost all children explore the world through grey eyes with a slight blue tint. Sometimes newborns have brown or dark, almost black eyes. But, as noted earlier, the original color changes over time, so children do not remain with blue or brown eyes for life.

If everything is quite simple with brown-eyed children - the formation of their permanent color occurs during the first months, then with other colors of the iris everything is much more complicated. As a rule, the organs of vision of children can change their color up to 4-5 years.

On a note! In rare cases (about 1 in 100 children), the eyes differ in color. Such a phenomenon in medicine is called. it a rare event which may be congenital or acquired.

Many parents wonder why their newborn's eyes don't have a consistent color. The answer is trivially simple: despite the genetic feature of the organism, the synthesis of the melanin pigment is activated not during the baby's stay in the womb, but immediately after birth.

In terms of genetics

The color of the iris is influenced by certain genes (there are only 6 of them). Of these genes, several are dominant, that is, superior to others. Therefore, only those external differences for which dominant genes are responsible. There are other genes that are not as strong as the previous ones. Scientists call them recessive. The presence of weak genes, as a rule, does not appear on a person's appearance.

Note! Scientists traditionally believe that the genes responsible for light color iris - recessive, and for darker shades - dominant.

It would be wrong to believe that in a family of parents where both mom and dad have brown eyes, the child will be like them in everything. In fact, everything is much more complicated, because the child copies the genes from both the father and the mother at the same time. Each copied pair consists of a recessive and dominant gene, so the child may end up with different traits from their parents.

An external sign by genes may not be transmitted immediately, but even after several generations, which is why not only parents, but also grandparents contribute to the formation of the color of the iris. The interaction of genes that are directly involved in the transmission of eye color occurs according to special schemes, thanks to which parents have the opportunity to predict the color of the future baby's eyes with the highest possible accuracy (more than 90%).

Eye color layouts

You can determine the color of the child's eyes, taking into account the characteristic qualities of the parents, using a special table for determining the shade. It was developed by scientists on the basis of statistical studies. It is possible that in a dark-eyed family a baby with blue eyes will be born. But how to determine whether their child will be green-eyed or brown-eyed? The table below will help you with this.

Table. Determining the color of the iris.

It must be borne in mind that all the above values ​​are conditional, since the definition table does not provide for shades (for example, gray-blue). In addition, gray and blue cannot be called the same colors, which only confirms the conventionality of the values.

According to Mendel's law, hair color is also inherited, so parents with blond hair are more likely to have a child with blond hair. But if the hair color of the parents is different, then the child will have a more neutral hair color, something in between the parents. Of course, there may be exceptions to this theory.

Diseases that affect color

Sometimes eye color is affected not only by a genetic factor, but also by the development of certain diseases. For example, the course of hepatitis or jaundice is accompanied by yellowing of the white areas of the organs of vision, due to which the iris may become darker. Often, even a common cold or indisposition in children is enough for the organs of vision to become less expressive, and their color to be distorted.

Doctors recommend periodically conducting iridology. This is a diagnostic measure, the essence of which is to study the organs of vision and assess the condition of the iris using modern equipment. Many pathologies provoke a change in the patient's gaze, as well as its fogging. At the same time, clean and clear eyes may indicate a good health of the child.

There is another disease that affects the color of the eyes - this is albinism. Unlike the previously mentioned heterochromia, albinism is not harmless, because in addition to changing the appearance of the patient, the quality of visual functions also decreases. Albinos often face such phenomena as eye hypersensitivity and impaired visual perception. The development of albinism is accompanied by discoloration of the iris, as a result of which it acquires a red tint. This is due to the presence of blood vessels.

If parents notice that their child's eyes have acquired an unusual appearance or change in color, then you need to seek advice from a specialist as soon as possible. Not all diseases that provoke such changes are safe for the patient's body, so they should not be ignored, especially when it comes to a small child. But, as practice shows, the development of serious pathologies or anomalies is determined immediately after birth, when an ophthalmologist conducts an examination in the maternity hospital.

Consider a few interesting facts associated with eye color:

• according to statistics, most of the population has brown eyes, and the smallest proportion, in the amount of 2% of the total number of inhabitants of the planet, falls on green-eyed people. It is also worth noting that most green-eyed babies are born in Iceland or Turkey;
• it is quite difficult to find a person with green eyes in Eastern or Asian countries, but if we talk about people of Caucasian nationality, then blue is considered the most common shade there;

• absolutely all newborns are born with blue eyes, but over time, color formation occurs, which, as a rule, will be completed by 3-4 years. In rare cases, the final eye color is formed much earlier. This can be explained by the genetic characteristics of the organism;
• Few people know, but brown eyes are blue, which are covered with brown pigment. Thanks to the methods modern medicine you can influence the color of the eyes, for example, during the operation it can be changed to blue. But such changes will not be displayed on future offspring;

• there is a theory among scientists that blue eyes are the result of a genetic mutation, which is why all people with blue eyes are united by one common ancestor;
• the red color of the iris of the eyes in albinos is not caused by a change in its color, but by its total absence. The red color itself appears due to the numerous blood vessels in the organs of vision;
• you can meet people with yellow or black eyes, but in fact their iris is green or brown, respectively. This phenomenon is caused by incorrect reflection of the sun's rays falling on the eyes.

Using the definition table, you can predict the eye color of your future child with maximum probability. Of course, it is impossible to be absolutely accurate in predictions, because children can be born initially with eyes of different colors.

Video - What color will the child's eyes be

Details can be found in our other article.

Future parents are always interested in what features the future baby will inherit, what eyes the child will have, who he will be more like. It is impossible to predict this with absolute certainty, because sometimes even brown-eyed mothers and fathers have blue-eyed children. However, geneticists argue that a certain pattern exists. Parents just need to brush up on their school knowledge of dominant and recessive genes and try to determine what eye color a child should expect.

What factors determine the color of children's eyes?

What determines the color of the pupils of the child? Our iris is made up of many fibers adjacent to each other. The density of their fit determines the color of the eyes. In light-eyed people, the fibers are located close to each other. The back of the iris is absolutely dark in everyone.

• In the body of blue-eyed men and women, relatively no a large number of melanin. In owners of dark blue pupils, the fibers are loose.
• The presence of a blue tint indicates that the fibers that make up the iris have a high density. They can be white or grayish in color. A similar density of fibers is observed in gray-eyed people.
• If there is little melanin, then the iris becomes green. Green color is formed by mixing golden-brown lipoid pigment and melanin. Lipoid pigment is responsible for the predominance of yellow tint in owners of honey and amber eyes.
• With a high content of melanin, your newborn baby's eyes will turn brown or black. In swarthy and black-haired people, the pupils literally absorb light.

From the biology course, we remember that the genes responsible for dark color. There are exceptions to every rule: brown-eyed parents may well have a baby with bright eyes. Why is this happening? The fact is that a child can inherit the color of the iris from more distant relatives - grandparents. It is sometimes impossible to accurately predict the color of eyes, hair and skin. A special table will help you find out what eye color to expect in a child.

In newborn albinos, there is a congenital absence of melanin pigment at all. The latter gives color not only skin and hair, but also the iris and pigment membranes of the eyes.

The color of the eyes of your unborn child largely depends on his ethnicity and even the natural and geographical location of the region of residence. For example, native Europeans are born with gray-blue, blue and even purple eyes. In the representatives of the Mongoloid race, all children are born with brown or green eyes. Dark-skinned newborns most often have a dark shade of the iris. In African Americans, the eye color of a small child and the color of the eyes of his parents often match.

What eye color are most babies born with, and when does it change?

The eyes of a newly born baby are most often blue or blue. This color scheme occurs in 9 cases out of 10.

When a baby is born and opens its eyes, cells - melanocytes - begin to produce melanin. By the way, it is melanocytes that determine constitutional melanin pigmentation (skin tone). The number of these cells is determined by heredity.

In most babies, the eyes acquire their final shade only when they reach one year, and not immediately after birth. Green and honey shades can take up to five years to form.

Table for determining the color of the eyes of a child from parents

Do not rush to determine the color of the child's eyes by the color of the eyes of both parents, but use a special shade determination table developed on the basis of statistical data. It is likely that a dark-eyed couple will have a blue-eyed baby. If the parents have brown, green or blue eyes, then what will the baby have?

1. 10 thousand years ago, all the inhabitants of the planet had brown eyes. Green, blue and gray shades are the result of mutational processes.
2. In animals, the whites of the eyes are almost invisible, unlike humans. Thanks to this feature, it is clearly visible where the human pupil is looking.
3. In Iceland, 80% of the locals have blue and green eyes.
4. Green eyes are considered the rarest. Owners of green eyes are only 2% of the total population of the globe.
5. It takes no more than 4 seconds for a person to make eye contact with a stranger.
6. Turkey has the largest number of green-eyed people. According to statistics, they are about 20%.
7. The iris of the human eye is as unique as fingerprints. The irises of 7 billion people are different, the probability of finding the same is zero.
8. In Russia, most people have gray and blue eyes. One third of the population has brown eyes. In Belarus and Ukraine, half of the inhabitants have a dark shade of eyes. In Latin American countries, the number of brown-eyed residents has long exceeded the 80% mark.
9. It is believed that dark-eyed men and women make friends faster than gray-eyed and blue-eyed.
10. In light-eyed people, the iris constantly changes its shade. Color depends on the state of health and mood. In newly awakened newborns, the pupil becomes cloudy, in upset or offended ones it turns slightly green, in cheerful ones it acquires a bluish tint. If the baby is hungry, then the eyes become dark.
11. A disease in which the pupils have different colors is called heterochromia.
12. Eye color may change when exposed to low temperatures and blinding artificial lighting.
13. The owners of dark eyes have the opportunity to change the shade of the iris. The operation to change the color is to remove the top layer of the iris.

All future parents are burning with curiosity, how their long-awaited baby will be born. They are worried about what kind of eyes the child will have: brown - in dad or blue - in mom? It turns out that color can be determined with some degree of probability, based on research conducted in this area. There are certain indicators of how this aspect of appearance is inherited from a scientific point of view. Moreover, it is worth considering that a baby will be born with one shade, and over time it will change it to another.

With 90% certainty, scientists will tell you what kind of eyes children are born with - absolutely everything, without exception. With blue ones! Only the remaining 10 percent may have a different color, due to the individual characteristics of the body and heredity.

Up to 4 years (for some it happens earlier, for others - a little later), the baby will have its own eye color. Blue may darken to brown under the influence of sunlight, or maybe just get a slightly different color. By the age of 4, the child has established the shade that will remain with him until the end of his life. It can be brown, green, blue, amber, and even cast dark red. Why is this happening? From a scientific point of view, there are several hypotheses this issue.

It is very exciting and interesting to imagine what eye color the baby will have, as it is interesting to observe the growth and development of the child itself. Regardless of eye color, all kids are very active and inquisitive, they get to know the world around them, exploring it with their hands.

The most active children are from two to five years old, at the same age there is the peak of curiosity, which sometimes ends with dirty, dirty hands and a head smeared with paint. Therefore, it is always worth remembering the hygiene of the child. But you should be extremely careful when choosing children's washing cosmetic products. Study the ingredients. If you see odium lauryl/Laureth Sulfate or CocoSulfate, it's best to put it back on the shelf. Such substances are extremely dangerous and can cause various irritations.

Professionals advise using only natural cosmetic products without dangerous impurities and preservatives. Many leading cosmetologists recommend natural products from the company Mulsan Cosmetic (mulsan.ru), created on the basis of natural ingredients, rich in vitamins and oils, and most importantly - without dyes and sulfates. Be more attentive to your health and the health of your child.

scientific assumptions

Geneticists around the world have argued for many years about how eye color is inherited in a child: what plays a leading role? The most convincing was the hypothesis that based this inheritance on Mendel's law, which also determines hair color. It says that dark genes are dominant. Those phenotypes that are encoded by them take precedence over those individual characteristics that are caused by light genes.

A hundred years ago, such great scientists as Darwin, Mendel and Lamarck described not only patterns, but also exceptions to this general rule. They determine the inheritance of most genes:

• in dark-eyed parents, children are born predominantly brown-eyed;
• the descendants of those with light shades (blue) will certainly inherit this distinctive feature of them;
• a child born to parents with unequal eye color may have a shade between the parents or take a dark one, as it is considered dominant.

From this generalized dogma, a whole science has grown, which, with maximum accuracy, calculated the percentage ratio indicating what color the eyes of the child will be inherited from the parents. If you know these scientific indicators, you can imagine what your unborn baby will look like.

Chances

Based on the parental features of appearance, it is possible to say with a certain degree of certainty what kind of eyes the child will get. The percentage ratio has long been identified by scientists:

• brown + brown: 75% - brown, 18% - green, 7% - blue;
• brown + green: 50% - brown, 37% - green, 13% - blue;
• brown + blue: 50% - brown, green will never work, 50% - blue;
• green + green: 1% - brown (very rare), 75% - green, 24% - blue;
• green + blue: brown cannot turn out, 50% - green, 50% - blue;
• what kind of eyes the child will have if the parents are blue: brown will not work, 1% - green (one chance in 100), 99% - blue.

Now you can imagine your baby, even if he has not yet been born: according to Mendel's law, parents can determine the color of their child's eyes even before his birth with the maximum degree of probability. There are also some interesting facts on this subject that will surely interest many.

This is useful to know

By focusing on the question of the color of the eyes of their unborn child, parents can learn several interesting facts on this occasion.

1. Brown eye color is the most common.
2. Green is the rarest (less than 2% of the population of our planet have it). Most green-eyed babies are born in Turkey, while in Asia, South America, the Middle East green color the eye is an incredible rarity.
3. For the inhabitants of the Caucasus, the blue color of the eyes is very characteristic. Icelanders are predominantly green.
4. Do not be afraid if by the age of 4 the child has decided different colour eye. This rare phenomenon in science is called heterochromia. This is not a disease or pathology, but simply idiosyncrasy your crumbs - the truth is very noticeable and attracting attention. In certain eras, such people were considered almost saints and bowed to them, calling them the chosen ones. Heterochromia was noted in actresses Mila Kunis and Kate Besward, rock star David Bowie (although in him this phenomenon was acquired due to injury, and not congenital).

Now you can guess with some certainty what color the eyes of your unborn baby will be. Remember that he will change during the first years of his life. And you will surely love him regardless of appearance and even more so - eye color.

Our eyes are said to be the mirror of the soul. They fully express our experiences, joys, secrets and desires. Since ancient times, with the color of the eyes, their owner was credited with special abilities. So, in the Middle Ages, a woman with green eyes could simply be sent to the stake, indicted for witchcraft. And even now, beauties with brown eyes, sometimes behind their backs they hear a whisper “her eyes are evil, she can jinx it.” You can imagine how many families broke up due to the fact that a blue-eyed child was born to brown-eyed parents. But such a science as genetics, put everything in its place.

So what kind of eyes will the baby have? Imagine the situation, a child is born with blue eyes, and by the age of 4, under the influence of sunlight, the eyes acquire a different color. It may be difficult to predict, but on the other hand, an explanation for the birth of "white crows" is possible.

Genetics

And now a little about genetics. There are concepts of recessive and dominant genes that affect what eye color a child will have. So a recessive gene is genetic information that is suppressed under the influence of a dominant gene, and does not appear in the phenotype. The manifestation of signs of a recessive gene is possible only if it is paired with the same recessive gene.

If a recessive gene is paired with a dominant one, then it does not appear, since the dominant gene suppresses it. The qualities that are determined by a recessive gene can be revealed in the phenotype of offspring only if it is paired with a certain recessive gene, that is, if this recessive gene is present in both parents. Let's take as an example the combination of the parents of a Tatar man and a Russian woman, and why a Tatar child is obtained, and not a combination of both parents. You can pay attention to the dominant and recessive signs of the eyes:

Determination of eye color

You may ask: how to determine the color of a child's eyes if both parents have the same recessive and dominant genes? It's very simple, genetics has long done it for you! With the help of a special plate, you can see the probability of what kind of eyes your child will have:

• If both parents have brown eyes, the chance of a child having brown eyes is 75%, green 18.75%, and blue 6.25%.
• If one of the parents is green-eyed, and the second has brown eyes, the child has a 50% chance of having brown eyes, 37.5% of green eyes, and 12.5% ​​of blue eyes.
• If one parent has blue eyes and the other has brown eyes, then the child will have either brown or blue eyes with an equality of 50%, and the appearance of a child with green eyes is almost impossible. Except for some genetic factors.
• If both parents have green eyes, the chance of a child having green eyes is 75%, the probability that he will be blue-eyed is 25%, and the probability of brown eyes is negligible, but it still exists.
• If one parent has green eyes and the other has blue eyes, then the chances of the child being either green-eyed or blue-eyed are 50/50%, with no chance for brown eyes.
• Well, pairs of parents who both have blue eyes, with a probability of 99% will produce a blue-eyed child, and with a probability of 1% - green-eyed.

Sometimes, rare eye colors are quite rare, such as black and yellow, or snake, gray-brown-green, or iridescent, but a rare genetic phenomenon - heterochromia, allows a person to be born into the world with absolutely different eyes. Also, the color of the eyes can change in case of certain diseases, or childhood injuries.

And finally, the conclusion. In principle, the eye color of parents and children should match, but if it happens otherwise, you should not be nervous and accuse someone of cheating, you may have dominant or recessive genes that you are not even aware of!