Written by: Samyak Baniya - 23027, Grade XI
Posted on: 14 February, 2022
"Originally, all of us had brown eyes," stated Professor Hans Eiberg from the department of cellular and Molecular remedy” however a genetic mutation affecting the OCA2 gene in our chromosomes resulted in the creation of a "switch," which literally "turned off" the ability to produce brown eyes."
The OCA2 gene codes for the so-called P protein, that is involved within the production of melanin, the pigment that gives coloration to our hair, eyes and skin. The "switch," that is located within the gene adjacent to OCA2 does not, however, turn off the gene completely, however as an alternative limits its motion to reducing the manufacturing of melanin within the iris -- effectively "diluting" brown eyes to blue.
The transfer's impact on OCA2 is very specific consequently. If the OCA2 gene had been absolutely destroyed or turned off, human beings would be without melanin in their hair, eyes or skin color -- a condition known as albinism.variation in the color of the eyes from brown to inexperienced can all be explained by the quantity of melanin in the iris, however blue-eyed individuals only have a small degree of variation in the quantity of melanin in their eyes. "From this we are able to conclude that all blue-eyed people are linked to the same ancestor," says Professor Eiberg. "they've all inherited the same transfer at precisely the same spot in their DNA." Brown-eyed individuals, by contrast, have extensive character variation in the vicinity in their DNA that controls melanin production.Professor Eiberg and his team examined mitochondrial DNA and compared the attention shade of blue-eyed individuals in countries as diverse as Jordan, Denmark and Turkey.
His findings are the latest in a decade of genetic studies, which started in 1996, when Professor Eiberg first implicated the OCA2 gene as being responsible for eye color.
