10 Things About Eyes You Probably Didn’t Know

1. An iris has 256 unique identifying characteristics.

Whereas a fingerprint only has 40. This is why retina scans are increasingly being used for security purposes.

Security Eye Scan

2. Our eyes have small blind spots where the optic nerve passes through the retina, and our brains use the information from the other eye to fill this gap.

Close up of a girl's colorful eye

3. You see things upside down – it is your brain which turns the image the right way up.

Lens showing right side up image

4. Eye transplants are currently impossible due to the sensitivity of the optic nerve.

Eye Surgery In Progress

5. Eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain.

Your eyes contain 7 million cones which help you see color and detail, as well as 100 million cells called rods which help you to see better in the dark.


6. It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

Our eyes are linked by cranial nerves, so the stimulation from the sneeze travels up one nerve to the brain, then down another nerve to the eyelids, triggering a blink!


7. You see with your brain, not your eyes.

Our eyes function like a camera, capturing light and sending data back to the brain.

Close up of Camera

8. Red-eye in photos is caused by light from the flash bouncing off the capillaries in people’s eyes.

Woman Photo with Red Eye

9. Your eye color is determined by the amount of melanin in your iris.

Melanin is a dark brown pigment. Blue eyes have less melanin, allowing collagen to show through (which is blue).

Closeup of Hazel Eye

10. Your eye muscles are the fastest in your body.

That’s why we say “in the blink of an eye”!


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