Facts About The Human Eye That You Didn’t Know

Truth be told, no one sits around thinking about how their organs do what they do on a daily basis. Why would we when we have better things to do and fret over (like eating chocolate and watching Grey’s Anatomy). Thing is, there is one organ in particular that works overtime continuously and we don’t even think about it. Our eyes. The human eye is especially unique and very powerful, even if we don’t realize it. Click through for proof of just how powerful the human eye really is.

Brown Eyes are Blue Actually

Calling all brown eyed folk to kick start this list. Turns out that your brown eyes are technically blue because ~all~ brown eyes are blue underneath the pigment, weird but true. There is also a laser procedure that can permanently turn your brown eyes blue. Freaky.

Heterochromia

Those who have heterochromia are usually born with the disorder. Heterochromia is a mutation which changes the melanin level of each eye, giving you two different colored eyes. A few famous people who have such a mutation include David Bowie, Henry Cavill, Jane Seymour, Robert Downey, Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, and Kate Bosworth.

Look Deep into My Eyes

Yup, humans and dogs have this fact in common. We are the only species out there which seeks visual cues from another individual’s eyes. However dogs only do this with humans and no other creatures.

Always Active

Here’s the thing, other body parts do take time to technically “warm up” to their full potential. Whereas, your eyes are always, always active, that does mean 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

World Traveler

Over the span of an average lifetime, the human eye will see over 24 million different images. Makes absolutely no difference if you have never left the city you were born in or travel frequently, your eyes see more than you’re able to fully register.

A lifetime worth of eyelashes measures HOW MUCH?!

Here’s a very weird, kind of icky fact, if were you to collect a lifetime worth of eyelashes, it would actually measure a length of over 98 feet! And consider this, the average human eyelash only grows to a quarter long, like the length of the pinky finger.

Backwards and Upside Down

The images of which our eyes send directly to our brains are actually sent in the way we don’t think. They are sent backwards and upside down. Although we see everything clearly and the right way up, our brain interprets it the opposite. Freaky.

Your eye is the fastest muscle in your body

This fact is a take on the age old classic saying, “in the blink of an eye.” Basically, your eyes are actually ~the~ fastest muscle in your body. The blinking of an eye is known as a nimish and according to modern mathematical calculations, one nimish is 0.2133 seconds. Whoa.

One Rule

You know the phrase, “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye”? That saying derives from Ancient Rome, which is something you probably knew but here’s the weird and ironic part. The ONE and only rule the Ancient Romans adhered to during any intense wrestling Gladiator fights was, “No eye gouging.” Go figure, eh?

Information Overload

The human eye is in fact capable of processing around 36,000 bits of information per hour (!). This amounts to about 50 different things per second. Takes multitasking to a whole other level.

Blind Spot

Every single person has a small blind spot in the back of their retina, deriving from the attachment of the optic nerve. Weird. If you were to “fill in” this blind spot, it requires the use of both eyes working together in order to fill in the blind spot of the other. Talk about overtime.

Your eyeballs will not change size

As you grow old, your body will change. Think about it, you are not the same size you were when you were first born! That’s obvious. On the flip side, your eyeballs have never once changed size and they never will.

All blue eyed people are related

Quite the statement to digest but here’s the catch, if you go back far enough in history then yes, ~all~ blue eyed are related. Scientists determined that every single blue eyed person’s roots date back to almost 10,000 years ago, back when people used to live by the Black Sea. So, yeah, technically couples who are both blue eyed are related but with 10,000 years separating you, it’s not that big of a deal.

So About Eye fatigue

In today’s century, almost all of us have our heads buried behind a computer or telephone screen. Thing is, when you’re doing so, you’re blinking less causing eye fatigue to kick in at an alarmingly higher rate. When you aren’t reading or starring at a computer screen, you normally blink 12 times per minute. However when doing the mentioned activities, the rate of eye blinking lowers drastically. When you start to feel the strain, then you need to take a break.

Blindness is a global issue

An estimated 40 million people suffer from blindness globally and on top of that, around 240 million suffer from some kind of visual impairment. Additionally, of those 240 million, 80% could have actually prevented their visual impairment with the help of an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Your eye is perfectly defended by your face

You’ve probably never thought about it but your eyes are perfectly defended by your face. In fact, your eyes sink into the hollows of your face so that remain more protected. Your eyebrows also keep sweat from dripping into your eyes while your eyelashes prevent any other contaminants from being able to enter your eyes.

Color Range

The human eye can in fact differentiate between 10 million different colors! Pretty awesome. Most of us can only maybe name 10 colors but our eyes are capable of recognizing so much more.

Color blindness and Babies

Did you know that when babies are born, they are actually 100% colorblind? Seems far fetched but it’s true. Newborns also are not able to produce tears until they are six weeks old. Yes, they’ll cry like there’s no tomorrow but no tears!

Totally Unique

It’s common knowledge that fingerprints are completely unique however, did you know that a fingerprint only contains 40 different characteristics whereas an iris has 256! This is why many places are now opting the use of retinal scans for security purposes rather than fingerprints alone.

So What About Glasses?

Almost everyone should know that we see with our brain and not our eyes. Stay with me here, many times when having blurry or poor vision isn’t the fault of our eyes. But rather a problem within the visual cortex of the brain. Makes sense.

The Look of Love

L.O.V.E. Nothing is better than that of love which is why we’re sharing this fun fact! When looking at someone you love beyond all measure, your pupils will expand almost 45% more than usual.

100 Million

Some two percent of women possess a rare and genetic mutation. This particular mutation allows for the individual to possess an extra retinal cone in each eye. Meaning, they have the ability to see 100 million colors. Insanity or really freaking cool?

Eyepatch.

There’s a reason pirates wore eye-patches but not why you think. It was to allow their eyes to quickly adjust from going above to below deck. One eye was always trained for the bright light while the other eye was intended for dim light, respectively.

One Cool Cat.

As we talk about gross looking squids for this fact, we decided to grace your eyes with the ever handsome Tom Hiddleston with a cat instead of a squid. You’re welcome. Moving on, the largest eye on the planet does in fact belong to that of the Colossal Squid, with their eyes measuring 27cm across.

Five Months.

Each individual eyelash carries a lifespan of around five months and we can’t really do anything to slow down the process. But it does give those of us with thin lashes hope that some day, they’ll end up thick and luscious.

Some 550 million years ago…

Whip out the history books for this ludicrous but totally understandable fact. Eyes actually started their evolutionary process some 550 million years ago. Whoa.

Fact.

Here’s a fun fact for you – everyone blinks a total of 12 times per minute, which may seem small but it’s actually quite a bit. Additionally, your eyes are one inch across and weigh 0.25 ounces.

One in 12

Weird but totally cool fact coming your way in three…two…one. One in every 12 males is indeed color blind. Boom.

Whoa.

We mentioned before that you are blink 12 times per minute, but here’s the fun part. The amount of blinking you do in a minute amounts to 14,280 blinks per day which is 5.2 million blinks per year. Whoa indeed.

Blame it on the alcohol

Here’s a fun fact for people with blue eyes – you possess a higher tolerance for alcohol. Very exciting, but how scientists figured this out is beyond us.

Impossible

There are colors that are simply far too complex for the human eyes to see and are known as “impossible colors.” Our eyes have the ability to see just three different colors – red, blue and green. All other colors are simply combinations of the three. ~Mind blown~

Eye See

Every single human eye contains around 107 million cells and every single one cell is actually light sensitive. Eye see for real.

If you’ve got green eyes – you’re pretty rare

Those who have green colored eyes are quite rare. Globally even, it is the rarest eye color with just an estimated 2% of the entire population having green colored eyes. The green eye color results from a smidgen of pigmentation with a golden tint, pretty beautiful to say the least.

Eye Color + Personality

Scientists in Sweden and Scotland have published their findings determining that eye color and personality go together like PB and J. They determined the following: those who have brown eyes are natural born leaders, loyal and respectful. Blue eyed people are strong, and not just physically but mentally and emotionally; quite often, people judge blue eyed folk before getting to know them. Those with grey eyes are very much a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character. Individuals with hazel eyes are considered independent, confident, and spontaneous. Lastly, those with green eyes are viewed as alluring, sexy, and mysterious.

Cross-Eyed.

The Mayans believed those who were cross-eyed were highly attractive, and took every effort and precaution to ensure their children would also end up cross-eyed.

Sixty Five Percent.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the human eye works insanely hard and rather quickly to work as efficiently as possible. Our eyes use 65% of our brainpower, more than any other part of the body. Overachievers.

Ultraviolet.

While we’d love to talk about everyone’s favorite slayer, we’re actually talking about mantis shrimp but since they’re hideous, here’s a photo of Buffy instead. Much better. Here’s the fact – the human eye is ~not~ the most evolved in the world. The mantis shrimp actually is. They are able to see four times as many colors as humans, some of those colors are even ultraviolet.

That Healing Power

If you receive proper care then it takes a mere 48 hours for your eye(s) to heal from a corneal scratch. That’s pretty quick to say the least.

Nope.

The age ol’ tale that you CANNOT sneeze with your eyes open is in fact true! Go ahead and keep trying, it’ll never happen.

POW.

During the Vietnam War, in the middle of a televised interview, an American prisoner repeatedly blinked his eyes in Morse Code to those watching. He kept “typing” out T-O-R-T-U-R-E as a signal of how the Vietnamese were treating American prisoners.

Brown Eyed Girl.

You’ve probably wondered just what the most common eye color really is. And if you’re thinking blue, you’re mistaken. Brown eyes are actually the most common eye color globally, some 80% of the population in fact are brown eyed.

Two Million.

The human eye is comprised of over two million working parts. That means it takes two million working parts to make our eyes fully functional on a daily basis. Bit crazy, no?

Dream Maker.

Did you know that if a person was not actually born blind, they can see their own dreams when they sleep. That’s certainly heartwarming.

Move It.

When our eyes are tracking a moving object, they are doing so in smooth motions. or non-saccadic as it’s scientifically called.

Read On.

People who read from a paperback book or anything on paper really, are doing something right. If you read from a computer screen, you’re actually reading 25% slower than that of paper.

The Darkness.

Research has long proven that when a person is experiencing major depression, they see less contrast making all colors around them appear more dull. Zooey Deschanel is the total opposite of that so we thought we’d make this a more happy fact and not a dark one. 🙂

Similarities

Turns out that the cornea of a shark is very similar to our own. Which explains why during some optic surgeries, a shark’s cornea is used most often.

Superstition.

Pirates were totally superstitious, go figure. Some were convinced that if they wore an earring, it would help improve or even to cure bad eyesight. They wholeheartedly the precious metals in an earring actually possessed magical healing powers.