Jasmine: Hi, I'm Jasmine.
Chrissy: l'm Chrissy.
Jasmine: We're from NIU STEAM and...
Chrissy: You're listening to The Sound of Science on WNIJ.
Mike [pre-recorded]: Hey, what's up NIU STEAM? It's Mike from Dekalb and I wanted to ask y'all if eye color has any correlation to light sensitivity?
Chrissy: That's a great question, Mike! Let's first discuss what influences eye color. All animals and humans have a pigment called melanin in their skin, hair, and eyes. However, individuals with albinism have very light skin, white hair, and red or pinkish eyes due to a lack of melanin. Theoretically, the more melanin that is present, the darker the hair, eye, and skin color that is observed.
Jasmine: Melanin evolved as an adaption to different environments: Darker eye color developed in regions with high UV exposure, while lighter eye color tones evolved in areas with less sunlight. Due to modern social practices and global travel, these traits aren't as geographically isolated as they were in the past.
Chrissy: With that in mind, eye color will definitely influence a person's sensitivity to sunlight. The iris, the part of your eye that displays your eye color or your stored melanin, affects how much light is absorbed or scattered as it enters the eye. The darker the eye color, the more melanin there is available to absorb light, providing better protection against bright light and UV rays. These people are less prone to glare and photophobia, or light sensitivity.
Jasmine: People with lighter eye color, have irises that contain less melanin. This allows more UV and artificial lighting to pass through into the pupil of the eye. Glare and discomfort caused by bright conditions are elevated.
Chrissy: If you have lighter eye color, there are some ways that you can combat light sensitivity: 1) Wear UV-blocking sunglasses outdoors, even when there is cloud cover. 2) Use hats or visors to reduce glare. 3) Adjust screen brightness on electronics and use blue light filters if sensitive to artificial light.
Jasmine: You have been listening to The Sound of Science on WNIJ, where you learn something new every day.
