Check out this cool site that will help you predict the eye color of your future children:
http://genetics.thetech.org/online-exhibits/what-color-eyes-will-your-children-have
Your eyes are truly "tiny spheres of wonder." National Geographic posted this video about how your eyes can be used to detect warning signs of a series of health issues:
Because you have a huge, two-day test this week, I am going to make the blog post fairly easy. You can respond about how cool the eyes are or you can simply tell me your favorite genetics problem from the unit.
The eyes are truly fantastic. It's amazing how our eyes can show us what illnesses we could be susceptible to, before our bodies can show us the symptoms of these illnesses. I have to say that the eyes in the video that showed signs of illnesses, were kind of cool in my opinion. I wish we had done a little more with these eye color problems, but I did enjoy the ones we did. I'd have to say that my favorite problem would be the trihybrid.... It was complicated, but it was like a puzzle, and I guess I am kind of geeky since I really enjoy doing these genetic problems.
ReplyDeleteI love trihybrids too.
DeleteThroughout the genetics unit in class, we have done many problems that determine the traits of certain offspring. These traits usually embody things like characteristics of our physical appearance, characteristics of our blood, or even genetic malfunctions such as color-blindness. One trait that we studied, in particular, was eye color. Eye color is possibly one of the most complex traits in humans, as there are so many different combinations of eye colors. The general rule is usually that blue eyes are recessive, brown eyes are dominant, and--not wanting to delve into the complexity of it even further--we generalize green eyes somewhere in the middle of the two. However, even when we do receive a certain color, the pigments in our eyes do not stay this color. Many humans, as infants, exhibit blue eyes, usually gaining their actual eye color as they mature. Interestingly enough, odd phenomenons such as “hazel” eyes, or even each eye showing a different color can occur. There are, in the end, tons of factors that end up influencing the color of something so insignificant, yet the color of our eyes ends up becoming an identifying factor of who we are and how others know us.
ReplyDeletePlus, the James Bond type movies where they have to do the eye scan as part of the identification are totally awesome. I think eyes are so cool.
DeleteOurs eyes are miraculous!! not only do they allow us to see the world around us, but doctors are using them to determine other things happening on the inside. Truly acting as a window for our body. The process of inheriting traits such as eye color is also very amusing. The idea that there aren't just two choices complicates our punnet square just a bit more. My favorite genetic problem of the unit was probably the dihybrid problems. They weren't too difficult but also provided a small challenge.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like the tricky dihybrids that we do this week in class.
DeleteI think that video is pretty cool. I had no idea the eye could do much more than just allow us to see. I think it's interesting that there is so much detail when you look close up, and I thought it was cool that you could see the red blood cells moving. Also, my favorite problems were the ones where you were given the members of a family and you had to determine their genotype by looking and their kids and parents.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video above, it is amazing to see just how much the human eye works for us. Illnesses and disease can be hard to pin point depending on the case, so if we can use a simple eye movement or pattern, then our struggles will decrease at a sufficient rate. From doing a variety of genetics problems throughout this unit, I would say that my favorite type would have to be pedigrees. It was fun setting up the family tree and figuring out each individual person. It was like a puzzle since you could not just conclude the GR necessarily at first glance. Considering all of the types of problems that we have learned, imagine if we did a problem that combined all of types of genetics problems. That would be pretty complex, as well as interesting! With a trihybrid genetic problem that had a cross between two parents where one -or both- had a sex-linked trait? The idea of this problem would definitely be an interesting one, especially if it could be done as a pedigree.
ReplyDeleteI think our eyes are one of the coolest parts of our bodies. They allow us to see the world around us and now doctors are being able to look at our eyes and see what is going on inside our bodies. I think eyes are so cool because there are so many ways an eye can look including shape, size, and color. No wonder you give us so many problems about the eyes, there are so many different possibilities.
ReplyDeleteThe video opened my eyes to all the amazing facts about the human eye. The eyes have been called the gateway to the human soul. I think it is amazing that we might be able to predict diseases due to eye movement. When referring to eye color I think it is cool that we can apply what we learned in class about punnett squares in real life. My favorite problems have been the tricky dihybrids. I like them because I feel accomplished after I finish them.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, the eyes are truly fascinating. Within most traits, there is the dominant and recessive, while in others there is also a middle ground. These characteristics are found in the eyes, but their are many other possibilities. For some people, the two eyes they have are different colors and some even have a mix of two or three colors in only one eye. For others, color does not matter since they unable to see the true pigment in other objects. Even here there are different degrees of colorblindness. There are so many different possibilities for eye traits which is unlike the other traits we gain. Lastly, when not observing the scientific aspect of this creation, the eyes are truly beautiful to admire, since they are all different and hold a different kind of mosaic.
ReplyDeleteWithout doubt, eyes are expressive, unique, and captivating. My previous knowledge on eyes was limited to: eyes being difficult to draw, there is a condition where one eye is a different color than the other in the same person, and some people need glasses because their vision is not perfect. I had no idea that some medical problems can be observed from looking at eyes. It made me wonder if certain eye colors are more susceptible to specific diseases or problems than others. Also, I have green eyes, which I know is the least common eye color. I wonder if in the future new eye colors will pop up due to micro-evolution or genetic engineering. Maybe there will be purple or orange eyes! Furthermore, in my opinion the most amazing thing about eyes is the fact that they are so complicated that scientists cannot even come close to recreating a human eye from scratch (or at least they couldn`t, the last time I checked). Will scientists ever be able to clone or create a human eye? I know eye (lol) would not want to have that task just because it would be so complicated!
ReplyDeleteI actually know two people who have kind of golden eyes. It's super cool.
DeleteThis video was very eye opening :). I didn't realize how detailed the human eye was until I saw this video. I guess the eye truly is the window to the soul. It is interesting that you can detect certain diseases just by looking at one's eye ball. It is also interesting how certain appearances in the eye can indicate inflammation in other parts of the body. I learned that six out of ten times a microscopic spot of blood on the white part of the eye is caused by high blood pressure. It amazes me how intricate and useful our eyes are.
ReplyDeleteEyes are so cool, and personally having two differently shaded eyes that change colour anyways I must say that they are magical things. My favourite problem from the unit was probably the little project where we were determining the kid's PR and it just was really fun to make what a human being could potentially look like.
ReplyDeleteWow, the eyes are very fascinating and I didn't even know you could discover these things like high blood pressure just by looking at the eye. Like the doctor in the movie said, the eyes truly are a window to your body, not so much your soul. During this unit I think that my favorite kind problem was the monohybrid because it was easy to understand, remember and solve.
ReplyDeleteIt really amazes me how complex the eye is. Its even cooler than we can see signs of heart disease or high blood pressure in the eye. I think my favorite problems of the unit were the monohybrids because they were easy. I also liked the dihybrids though
ReplyDeleteI did not know that eyes can hold the key to many things in the body. It is so cool that they can detect things like diabetes. I wonder if the eye doctor could see early signs of things in your body like diabetes. I go to the eye doctor a lot because of my poor eyesight but I didn't know eyes can hold the key to our bodies. If technology becomes better I think it would be possible for eye doctors to detect diseases or problems anywhere in the body. I did the eye color of my kids, and it said that 50% will have brown eyes, 29% green eyes, and 21% blue eyes. This makes sense because my dad has green eyes.
ReplyDeleteI find eyes truly fascinating. Sometimes you'll see someone whose eyes just look normal, and then the person next to them will have random flashes of color and spots and spikes of design. They're really beautiful in the way that they are so delicate but also powerful, and every thing they do is interesting if you just think about it the right way. Think about how your pupil dilates and contracts automatically depending on how much light it is exposed to, how you blink without thinking about it but then when you try not to, tears form to protect yourself. It's wonderful how people can end up with so many different combinations, how you and a sibling can have completely different eye colors. Everyone's eyes are unique just for their simple shape and color. Eyes are really a mosaic of sorts, and it's a shame how eye contact has sort of become an uncommon thing, how people tend to look away so quickly. Next time you talk to someone, try to focus on their eyes (uncreepily, I might add) and just appreciate the simple but extraordinary beauty of their "windows to the soul".
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I find most interesting about the eye is that you can see many aspects of the body in it. Also what I think is interesting about the eye is that its ability to heal really quickly and even though it looks fragile it can take a hit. Two first hand examples I have is my cousin shot himself in the eye with a B.B. gun and his eye had almost a full recovery. My friend that currently is attending CLC got hit in the eye point blank with a golf ball and his eye was damaged for a while but later he had a full recovery. My favorite type of problem was the monohybrid because it was easy.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching that video i realized that eyes are a lot more interesting than than I thought. I find it interesting how you can see blood cells as well as parts of the brain in your eye. Also it is amazing how you could see the red blood cells moving in your eye. What I found incredibly interesting though is the fact that you can see if a person has high blood pressure, stress or even diabetes from looking into their eye. During the genetics unit I think that my favorite problem was the trihbryid ones because I find them fun and challenging.
ReplyDeleteEyes are amazing. It interesting how much we take for granite all our eyes can do. It is impossible to think about how my lives would be if I was blind. Not only can your eyes allow you to see the world but that they can also help us detect certain disease is awesome. Before I only had a basic knowledge of eyes but the video really opened my eyes. In the unit I really enjoyed learning about blood type and using punnet squares to find the possible blood types.
ReplyDeleteI love looking at people's eyes. Every color is beautiful. Even more than looking at eyes, I love to draw them. Being an artist, this might be a bit of a cliche, but it is very fun. The only problem is drawing two eyes that look equal in appearance. But, this is a biology blog, not an art blog. What where my favorite problems? Blood type problems. They're easy, and very few combinations. That's all I got to say about that.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes are really amazing. It is unbelievable that one third of all disorders affect the eyes. I have always found it interesting when going to the ophthalmologist, but I never knew just how much you could find out through eyes. It's crazy just how unique everyone's eyes are, and I like knowing a lot about my eyes, not just whether or not I need glasses. I thought it was very cool when they showed the image of the red blood cells in the microscopic capillaries in the eye- how interesting! As far as our genetics unit goes, my favorite type of problems were blood type problems because they are so applicable to real life, and the multiple allele aspect makes those problems like a puzzle you have to put together.
ReplyDeleteEyes are the coolest. I so easily get jealous of girls with gorgeous eyes and find the boys with neat ones mighty fine. It's fascinating how eyes can change their color over time, depending on the lighting, what colors you're surrounded by...pairing that with the multitude of hair colors available leads to endless combinations. Also, I find pupils quite interesting. It's swanky when they dilate very large so the iris is nearly consumed by blackness. Who doesn't love the color black?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite problem we did this week was where it gave you a long paragraph of different people and their phenotypic descriptions, leaving you to determine each one's genotype based on inheritance. It reminds me of those logic puzzles in math, or even the geometric proofs where I feel like a lawyer, attempting to match up all of the facts.
I think eyes are really really cool. I love all the colors that eyes can be and how some people even have two different colored eyes. I didn't know that your eyes could tell you when something is wrong with your body.
ReplyDeleteI have always found eyes pretty interesting, and it’s cool to look around and notice that everyone has a unique colored iris. There are many cool facts about eyes also, such as they are the second most complex working organ after your brain. This video proved how intricate the eye is, and it was cool that the smallest spot in your eye can determine a health problem. I know that lighter colored eyes are more sensitive to the sun, and more likely to get ocular cancer, but I didn't know so many symptoms were visible in the eye.
ReplyDeleteTo think one of our most useful organs is the one that is the softest and the one that is probably the most exposed. Not only does it allow us to see, which is already super important, but it allows us to also see problems that our body is having, like you can tell if there is a disease or not. It is really quite amazing the stories eyes can tell but words can't. My favorite problems were the blood type problems. Like when we had to see if the kids got switched because the blood types didn't match up.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the different problems we have done this unit, my favorite has to be pedigree's. One reason being that you have to write down close to nothing compared to dihybrids or trihybrids. Also, they are interesting because they do show how recessive genes can skip generations.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of weird how you can see illnesses and diseases in your eyes before it's visible elsewhere in the body. I also think it was a little weird looking at all those eyes close up...maybe it's just me. I never knew eyes were so important to figuring out what was wrong with you. When I looked at the eye calculator thing I realized if I married someone with green eyes I would most likely have all kids with blue and green eyes which would be sweet. Green eyes are really awesome. For the question of my favorite genetic problem...I'd probably have to say mono-hybrids. I think we all know why.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say the most interesting part of this unit was the movie we watched about the future. The reason that I liked it because it was cool to see what the future would be like and how genetics would play a role in that. I also like doing all of the problems. This was definitely my favorite unit so far!
ReplyDeleteFrom when I was little, up till now I never really knew the purpose of the doctors pointing the light at your eye when you go to the doctors office. I thought that they just needed to make sure that your eye was healthy and working properly, i guess that is not the only things though. I think it is so interesting that they can see signs or things in your body, for example diabetes and high blood pressure, just by looking at your eye. There is so much to see looking out from your eyes but there is so much to see when you look into the eyes as well. I also think having two different colored eyes would be awesome to have.
ReplyDeleteEyes are so cool. I cant even comprehend how much I didn't know about eyes! Apparently they are the fastest muscle in the body! But I really like mono hybrids because they're the easiest.
ReplyDeleteEyes are amazing. They come in all sorts of different colors and patterns. Looking at all the different eyes made me realize how unique they are. I really liked doing the blood type and monohybrids. Mostly because they were not confusing!
ReplyDeleteEyes are the window to women's soul which can be helpful.. My favorite genetics problem is blood type because you don't to choose the letters.
ReplyDeleteEyes are really cool: I find it brilliant that everyone has different colored eyes. I know that the most common eye color is brown (my eye color) and the least common is green. However, there are some colors even rarer than green, such as a rumored golden eye color and albino people that have red or pink eyes. I've seen close ups of eyes and they look like dark voids, like something you would see in outer space. Eyes are so beautiful and intricate, yet they are made primarily of water. Overall, eyes are amazing.
ReplyDelete(forgot to do second part about genetics problems sorry.) My favorite genetics problems were monohybrids because they were easy.
ReplyDeleteThe problems I enjoyed the most in our genetics unit are the blood type problems. These problems are both interesting and challenging for me. I like the ones that gave you a paragraph of information and you had to figure out the blood types of of the people mentioned. They were the ones that occupied me most. I also think I am most interested in these because I still do not know my own blood type. I really want to find out, and I am really wanting to go to the doctor just to find out what blood type I am.
ReplyDeleteI love eyes. When I look at people or have a simple conversation, the first thing i look at are the eyes. To me, I can really read the person based on the ways the eyes look. That seems to be a little irrational, however it some cases its true. Its kinda self-evident sometimes but, still it's true. I enjoyed doing the sex-linked problems.
ReplyDeletemy favorite problem is the one with 3 traits they are so complicated and fun
ReplyDeleteMy favorite genetics problem was the blood problems because I liked figuring out the possibilities for the offspring.
ReplyDeleteEyes are truly amazing. My favorite problem from the unit was probably chi squared. Even though chi squared is pretty difficult to do, it was interesting. I may just be a math nerd but I liked how there was actual math involved and how it was a challenge.
ReplyDeleteEyes are one of the coolest features of the human body, and come in many different colors, sizes, and shapes. They are also take up around 1/4 of the brain's use. My favorite genetics problems are the blood type problems, because they are easy and don't have as many possibilities as other problems.
ReplyDeleteEyes are really cool, my sister has blue eyes with brown spots, its really weird and awesome. My favorite genetics problems were the Di hybrids because I like matching up the letters.
ReplyDeleteEye are so amazing! And just as a random thought, there's actually people who tattoo their eyeballs!! Though from this unit, my favorite type of genetic problem would be sex-linked traits with non-sex-linked traits. I like the challenge of figuring the problem out!
ReplyDeleteEyes are one of the most unique parts of the body. The differentiation can go on for days from eye size, to color, to width there are numerous amounts of possibilities. I liked doing the monohybrid problems the most because it didn't require a lot of writing and thinking.
ReplyDeleteEyes are truly amazing. In the beginning of the video, it showed a bunch of pictures of eyes. I love looking at eyes, because up close, like in a picture, you are able to see all sorts of different colors and textures, eyes are also so complex. In eyes, scientists have discovered that by looking at eyes, we can see signs of diabetes and even health disorders. Eyes can help decipher problems with our body. It is even more amazing that in the eye, there are so many little details to be seen, and can be seen just by looking at them. Also, one of my favorite problems are the chi problems for genetic. I really like these problems because its an equation to solve them, and I like to use equations.
ReplyDeleteI really like the National Geographic video on eyes. And it was really cool to see what your children's eye colors could be. I was wondering why do some people and animals have two different colors.
ReplyDeleteI love to look at people's eyes and see all the beautiful colors. My favorite genetics problem was the one where it asked the probability of the couple having a girl after 3 boys. It's a simple 50%.
ReplyDeleteEyes are interesting. They are different and vary from each person. Some eye colors are a blend of others and some are just one color, whether it be brown or blue. My favorite genetics problem was the mono hybrid problems.
ReplyDeleteEyes are fascinating asthetically, but when you do a little research they become even more interesting. For example, did you know that we see the colors we do because it’s the part of the specturm that passes through water, where humans first evolved? On land, there hasn’t been a necessity to evolve to see a broader spectrum. Also, blue eyes are a mutation too, which appeared about 10,000 years ago. Before that, everyone had brown eyes. Since all brown eyes are actually blue underneath the brown pigment, there is a surgical procedure to change brown eyes blue permanently. The irises of our eyes can be blue, green, brown, or hazel, which are common, and also gray and black.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting thing, eyes never grow larger. They’re the same size from birth until death! Averagely, a human eyeball weighs about 28 grams. So a baby’s eyeball is the size it will be for the rest of it’s life. Did you know that all babies are born colorblind, and that they don’t actually cry until 4-13 weeks old? That’s because they’re not finished developing yet.
Speaking of eyes of non-humans, Octopus eyes do not have a blind spot. The corneas of sharks are so similar to those of humans, they've been used in eye surgery. And, humans and dogs are the only species that look for signals from another’s eyes. Dogs only do this when interacting with humans.
Andie,
DeleteI know for a fact that newborn babies definitely cry before they are 4 weeks old. Did you mean tear?
I really had no idea you could tell so much about someone just from looking closely at their eyes! If there are so many diseases you can tell from the eye before they show up in your body maybe we should have eye check-ups more often than we do. I bet a lot of people could catch their problem a lot sooner that way.
ReplyDeleteI think eyes are really interesting. On every person, it can be different, from eye color, to shape, to size. Also, I think its really cool when eyes change colors, or are two different colors. My favorite genetics problem was the monohybrids because they were simple
ReplyDeleteThis video about eyes is intriguing in the way it they can do much more than look at things. I would like to know how my sister got her eye colors because yes, she does have two different colored eyes. I've always wondered why they are different from one another; she thinks it was from the time she got glow stick liquid in one eye a bunch of years ago, but I'm almost positive that she's always had two separate eye colors. Would it have been sex-linked? Could it be some recessive trait from our ancestors? I have no idea! Anyways, my favorite problems were working with incomplete dominance, since there is a blend, which is much more common than I realized. Overall, this unit was pretty explanatory for everyday things, even for somebody who doesn't like biology(I do, I'm just saying).
ReplyDeleteMy favorite genetics problems this unit were in the beginning when we only did monohybrid problems because they were really easy and simple. When we moved on to dihybrid problems they were still easy but took forever and were really boring. I didn't even do the trihybrid problem because it would've taken so much time.
ReplyDeleteI think its really cool that eyes are windows to the body and i hope that in the future new eye colors will appear and eyes will continue to give us more info about our body. I already can't believe they give us that much info already imagine what they could do in the future.
ReplyDeleteI love the eye colors in that video. It's interesting to see all the different shades of just one color! Being able to see them up close is even better, because you see details that you probably would have missed otherwise. I like the eyes that are multiple colors. Take mine for example, they are a greenish color with brown surrounding the pupil, and I love them. Also, my favorite genetics problem would probably be the pedigrees. They are both the easiest and the most fun.
ReplyDeleteI am often filled with envy of wanting a lighter eye color, my dark eyes seem so plain compared to complicated blue, green, and hazel eyes. My family has a long history of beautiful hazel eyes being passed down, while I always felt like the black sheep next to my brother. I would stare at my eyes and notice they don't have a light caramel color, but rather a dark brown almost seeming black. I never worried about getting red eyes too often in photos, but I wished my eyes had green or light blue laced within my dark brown orbs. I recall being told that my eyes were the key to my soul, but then wouldn't my soul be black.
ReplyDeleteI knew this was childish, but I hoped the sun may lighten my eyes if I went outside often. Now I realise my eyes are my caretakers, my keepers, my warning sign if anything is wrong within my body. They do not need to compared to other eyes, because they don't know how to compare myself with anyone else. I have become greatful of my brown eyes who hold my health as one of it's most important task. If my eyes' had eyes I hope they would read my appreciation.
Eyes have always been fascinating to me. Whether they be green, brown, blue, or gray, eyes are magnificent. I happen to have a father with gray eyes. Depending upon the clothing he wears, his eyes can appear both gray and blue. I often wonder what might be the cause of this. A genetic mutation? The reflecting of light upon the differing pigments within his eyes? Might it even be a perception-related situation? I've also heard of people who have been born with two eyes of different colors. I could ask the same questions for this instance. How do these amazing situations occur? Additionally, my favorite genetic problem for this unit would definitely be the Trihybrid. Even with its intense level of difficulty, I found it intriguing and challenging. This unit has been my favorite of all of the units learned this year. I've had such a lovely time showing off my knowledge to my parents and friends and even testing out some of the problems we've learned within the genetic basis of my own family.
ReplyDeleteEyes have always been so fascinating to me! A common drawing subject for me and many others, the amount of detail and expression they hold can only just be captured. Emotion, age, health standpoint, and personality. I love how much people can tell about one another for simply the eyes. Also, I liked the monohybrid problems the most because of their simplicity (found myself thinking all about genetics while picking flowers today :) ).
ReplyDeleteEyes truly are amazing. I love looking at close up pictures of irises and observing their mountainous like geography. What really gets me though is how deep black the pupil is. Scientists have also discovered that by looking at eyes, we can see signs of diabetes and even health disorders. Eyes can help decipher problems with our body. It is even more amazing that in the eye, there are so many little details to be seen, and can be seen just by looking at them.
ReplyDeleteI really digged doing the genetic problems because they were like super simple logic problems, though I wasn't really big on the trihybrid problems because they took so long to complete and my hand would cramp up from filling in the table.