eye color genetics

This paper will be discussing whether or not eye color is genetic. According to dictionary references, genetics is “the science of heredity, dealing with resemblances and differences of related organisms resulting from the interactions of their genes and the environment” (The Free Dictionary). This means that when it comes to humans each physical characteristic as well as personality is genetically inherited from the offspring. The three main points that will be elaborated on in this paper are the factors that play a role in determining eye color. These factors consist of melanin, EYCL1, and Eycl3. Eye color is a polygenic trait; this means that multiple genes interact to produce the color of peoples’ eyes, hair, and skin. In the past, it was once thought that a “single gene pair following dominant and recessive inheritance patterns was responsible for eye color, but it is now known to be much more complex than that, involving at least three gene pairs”( Forensic Science International). People have begun to focus on two of the three gene pairs that make the genetics of eye color more understandable. These genes are known as “EYCL1, which is also referred to as gey gene, and EYCL3, also known as bey2 gene. For the bey 2 gene if a person has a brown allele then they will have brown eyes. In the gey gene the green allele is dominant over the blue allele, but it is still recessive next to a brown allele” (Forensic Science International). Another factor that plays in determining eye color is melanin. Melanin is known as a “product of cells in the human body” (National Institutes of Health). These cells create pigments in the body which not only leads the result of eye color but also the color of the skin and hair. According to the Science Education partnerships it says that “light blue eyes have the least amount of melanin and dark brown eyes have the most. .