Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Your Eyes

On the face of it, our eyes are just simple orbs in our head, but the fact is that they’re very complex organs. There are seven main parts in the eye that play a role in transmitting information to the brain, detecting light, and focusing. A problem with any of these parts means a problem with your vision.

Our eyes are very complicated and amazing. They seem pretty simple, but there’s really a lot to know about how they function.

You’ve had your peepers since you were born, so you may think 

you know them pretty well, but here are some facts you may not know about eyes:

1.      The average blink lasts for about 1/10th of a second.

2.      While it takes some time for most parts of your body to warm up to their full potential, your eyes are on their “A game” 24/7.

3.      Eyes heal quickly. With proper care, it only takes about 48 hours for the eye to repair a corneal scratch.

4.      Seeing is such a big part of everyday life that it requires about half of the brain to get involved.

5.      Newborns don’t produce tears. They make crying sounds, but the tears don’t start flowing until they are about 4-13 weeks old.

6.      Around the world, about 39 million people are blind and roughly 6 times that many have some kind of vision impairment.

7.      Doctors have yet to find a way to transplant an eyeball. The optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain is too sensitive to reconstruct successfully.

8.      The cells in your eye come in different shapes. Rod-shaped cells allow you to see shapes, and cone-shaped cells allow you to see color.

9.      You blink about 12 times every minute.

10.  Your eyes are about 1 inch across and weigh about 0.25 ounce.

11.  Some people are born with two differently colored eyes. This condition is heterochromia.

12.  Even if no one in the past few generations of your family had blue or green eyes, these recessive traits can still appear in later generations.

13.  Each of your eyes has a small blind spot in the back of the retina where the optic nerve attaches. You don’t notice the hole in your vision because your eyes work together to fill in each other’s blind spot.

14.  Out of all the muscles in your body, the muscles that control your eyes are the most active.

15.  80% of vision problems worldwide are avoidable or even curable.

Read the original article published on vsp.com

Who knew your eyes could be so amazing and complex? Make sure to give them the attention they deserve by seeing your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam every year.

If it’s been more than a year since your last eye exam, please feel free to drop in to any 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore location or schedule an exam online. 20/20 Eyeglass Superstore is a family owned company that has been serving the Orange City, Melbourne and Winter Park areas for many years.  We look forward to becoming your number one source for all your eye care and eye fashion needs.  You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date on eye trends and eye health.