Top 10 Fun Facts About Our Eyes

Something most of us take for granted is our eyes. Unless we are blind or losing our sight, we don't realize how incredible our eyes are. They are extraordinarily complex featuring a variety of muscles, two lenses, and four optical surfaces. All these functions work together seamlessly to allow us to view the world in vivid color.

Ever wonder where our eye color comes from or what the rarest color is? What about the muscles that make it possible for us to rotate our eyes, see something without looking directly at it, and look side to side or up and down? Here are the Top 10 Fun Facts About Eyes that will answer those questions and more.

1. Where Does Eye Color From And What Is The Rarest Color?
Eye color is determined by many factors in a person's genes. Most of the genes associated with eye color are the result of melanin production, transport, or storage in the layers of the iris.

People with gray eyes have the rarest eye color and make up less than 1% of the world's population. People with green eyes have the second rarest color and make up less than 9% of the U.S. Population and only 2% of the world population.

2. Why Tears Help Our Eyes 
Tears are part washing machine and superhero for our eyes, flushing away germs and trash. They help protect or heal our eyes in more ways than one, with the power to repair scratches to the cornea. Keeping our eyes lubricated and allowing for use to blink and rotate them with ease. Tears of course also give us a way to express our emotions.

3. Did You Know Our Eyes Have A One-Of-A-Kind Pattern?
Our eye's iris has individualized patterns just as our fingers have a one-of-a-kind print. It is common for forensic investigators to use this distinction as a method to identify a person. So, no one has eyes like you!

4. Why Is The Cornea Of The Eye Compared To A Camera?
The cornea not only protects our eyes from ultraviolet rays, but it is also responsible for giving us a clear and colorful view of everything we see. It's the clear front part of the eye, that's interactive bending light rays to pass through the retina located at the back of the eye allowing us to see color.

5. What Is An Optic Nerve? 
The optic nerve is connected to the body's central nervous system which includes the spine and our brain. This communication superhighway sends electrical impulses from your eyes to your brain. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to see.

6. How Many Muscles Does It Take To Move Our Eyes?
Would you believe it takes six muscles to control the movement of each eye? Teamwork makes the eyes work. Literally! These muscles are critical in helping us to see the world around us.

7. Our Eyes Have Superhero Focus 
Imagine being able to focus on something in just 1/10th of a second! Our eyes are superheroes in that department. This super-speedy focus ability helps us quickly switch our attention from one thing to another, whether we’re reading a book, playing a game, or spotting a friend in a crowd.

8. Our Eyes Have Special Cells Called Rods And Cones! 
This dynamic duo works together so that we can see during the day and night. Rods, give us night vision allowing us to see in low-light conditions. Cones, helps us see color during the day.

9. Our Eye Lens Changes Shape
This is a part of the eye, that has shape-shifting ability so that we can see something far away or close up.

10. How Fast Is A Blink And Why Do We Blink?

First, the blink is 100–150 milliseconds long! According to experts, we blink about 15-20 times per minute and up to 28,800 times a day. That's a whole lot of blinking, but we do it for a good reason. This important eye function does a few jobs like keeping dust and debris from getting in. Finally, blinking helps to keep our eyes moist by spreading tears around.

As I said, our eyes are quite extraordinary! So, take care of them, they're the only two you got. Keep an eye on your vision and remember to wear safety goggles when working in an environment where something can injure your eyes. Also, make sure you do an annual eye exam to maintain healthy vision or be fitted with a proper prescription to improve your eyesight.