Heterochromia

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Just like snowflakes, no two pair of eyes are alike. Sometimes, the two irises are a completely different color! Heterochromia is an uncommon mutation where one the eyes or part of one eye is a different color. This is caused by the lack of melanin (a type of pigment) in the eyes. There are many causes of this mutation.
There are two types of Heterochromia: Heterochromia Iridum and Heterochromia Iridus. Heterochromia Iridum is the complete discoloration of the iris from the other iris. An example of this would be a person who has one blue eye and one green eye. Heterochromia Iridus is when only parts of the iris are a different color from the rest of the iris. Sectoral Heterochromia and Central Heterochromia are both types of Heterochromia Iridus. Sectoral Heterochromia is when parts or sections of the iris is a different color than the rest of the iris. Central Heterochromia is when the center of the iris near the pupil is a different color than the surrounding iris. This type of Heterochromia is more common than others. Hazel eyes are often referred to as Central Heterochromia because of the discoloration around the pupil.
Heterochromia is caused by the lack or complete absence of the pigment melanin in the early development of the body. The deficiency, or complete absence of melanin also causes albinism and is found in skin color and hair (Haldeman-Englert). In most cases, Heterochromia is usually passed down genetically, but it could also be contracted by a mere punch in the eye. There are many syndromes and infections that are linked to Heterochromia. Elderly people that have cataracts or glaucoma have a slight chance of getting Heterochromia. The discoloration or pigment levels in the eyes affected have no foreseeable we...

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