With brown and hazel eyes, the other colors may appear as rings or flecks of color. However, it is not nearly as noticeable as it is when someone has hazel eyes. In some cases, there are shades of gray, blue, and gold within the iris too.īrown eyes may also have some green in them. When eyes are hazel, they are brown mixed with amber and green. However, hazel eyes are far more diverse compared to brown eyes. In certain types of light, especially low light, hazel eyes can appear to be light brown. How Are They Similar and Different?īrown and hazel eyes are often put into the same category. However, there are certain genetic variations that make some results unpredictable. In many cases, you can predict a child’s eye color based on their parents. It is believed that other genes play a lesser role in eye color by combining with HERC2 and OCA2 to produce a variety of eye colors. While these two genes are the ones that are primarily responsible for eye color, they are not the only genes that play a role. With higher OCA2 activity, your eyes will be darker. HERC2 essentially turns the OCA2 gene off or on when it is necessary. Within this region is a DNA segment that controls OCA2 gene activity. HERC2 has a region referred to as intron 86. Since brown eyes have a lot of melanin, they have higher levels of P protein. These are a type of cellular structure that work to store and produce melanin. Two of the common genes are HERC2 and OCA2.Ī substance called a P protein works to mature melanosomes. The genes associated with eye color largely work in the transport, storage, and production of melanin - the pigment that results in eye color. These genes are inherited from your parents. There are three primary genes that are responsible for eye color. How Do Brown and Hazel Eyes Occur? The iris is the colored part of your eye, as it contains pigmentation. For example, if you have brown eyes, you tend to have a lower risk of macular degeneration. Melanin also determines how dark your eyes become.īoth of these eye colors come with their benefits. Pigmentation plays a major role in whether you have brown or hazel eyes.

Hazel color