Question: What gives you eye colour? Why do people have different eye colours? Is there anything you can learn from your eye colour?

Emma Ross answered on 24 Jun 2013:

The part of the eye called the iris contains pigment which is what gives us our eye colour. The color of the underlying structure of the iris in everyone is blue, but it is the addition of the pigment Melanin that gives us our varying eye colors. Melanin is the same molecule that causes people to have skin of different shades. Eyes with little or no melanin in the iris appear more blue. Add more melanin and they take on a green appearance and the eyes with the most melanin appear hazel or dark brown. The amount of melanin attached to your iris is determined by your genes.