Most of us don’t really give much attention to our eyes, until such time that something is wrong with them. But when you come to think of it, our eyes are incredibly complex because they work hard from the minute we wake up, constantly taking in information around us, until we go to sleep. Aside from letting us see the world around us, there’s more to the human eye than one may realize.
If you want to learn more about the human eye, here are some interesting facts that we gathered for you.
1. The Iris of our Eyes is Unique Just Like Our Fingerprints
Did you know that an iris has 256 unique characteristics, in comparison to a fingerprint which only has 40? This is the reason why the use of retina scans for security purposes is rapidly growing.
2. Tears Only Start to Fall from Our Eyes When We’re 4 to 13 Weeks Old
Have you noticed that when newborn babies cry, there are no tears produced? It’s because tears don’t start flowing from our eyes until we’re are at least 4 to 13 weeks old.
3. Humans Can Also Have Two Different-Colored Eyes
Just like in cats, there are also some people who are born with two different eye colors. This condition is called heterochromia. It is the result of a relative lack or excess of pigment in one eye. It is usually inherited but it can also occur because of a disease or an injury. In fact, there are some celebrities who have this eye condition such as Mila Kunis, Kate Bosworth, and Josh Henderson.
4. Red Eye
Have you ever had a time when your photo was taken and your eyes appeared red on the photo? This happens when light from the camera’s flash reflects off the retina. The red color ] comes from the choroid, which is located at the back of the retina. It contains many blood vessels, making our eyes look red.
5. Human Eyes Can Heal Quickly
Most of us have experienced having a foreign object come in contact with our eyes, like dust particles for example. Once we feel the itchiness, we tend to scratch it right away without having a second thought. This action though may result in a corneal scratch. But you don’t have to worry too much because human eyes can heal quickly. A minor corneal scratch can be repaired in about 48 hours.
6. The Size of Our Eyes Do Not Change from Birth Until Death
While other parts of our bodies grow as we age, did you know that the size of our eyeballs stays the same? Yes, from the day we’re born until our death, their size will remain the same.
7. Our Retinas Recognize the Surroundings Upside-down
Did you know that when we look around our surroundings, our retinas see things upside down? It’s because the front part of our eye is curved, thus, it bends the light creating an upside down image. Our brain is the one responsible for flipping the view for us to see the way we do.
8. Our Two Eyeballs are for Depth Perception
Have you ever wondered why we have two eyes? It because both eyes work together to help us judge the size and distance of objects, allowing us to safely navigate around them.
9. 20/20 Vision Does Not Mean Perfect Vision
If you have 20/20 vision, it just means that you can see 20 feet in front of you with sharpness or clarity. It is just the standard by which our vision is measured and the basis for most prescription lenses. It does not tell about other key areas that affect our vision such as if we can see colored or moving objects normally, therefore, having 20/20 vision doesn’t mean you have a perfect vision.
10. It’s Impossible to Sneeze with Your Eyes Wide Open
Cranial nerves connect our eyes and nose, therefore, the stimulation from a sneeze travels up one nerve to the brain going down another nerve to the eyelids which typically prompts a blink.
The human eye is truly amazing! If you take good care them, you will have healthy eyes that will take good care of you.