10 Interesting Eye Facts You Didn’t Know About
1. Size
The average human eye is roughly 1 inch in diameter and the eye stays the same size from birth. The human eye starts to get bigger about 2 weeks after it is in formed in a fetus.
2. Weight
The human eye weighs about 28 grams, which is about 3 tablespoons of sugar. For something so small and light, the eyes take in and processes about 85% of all the information you will ever collect.
3. Blink
On average a human blink takes around one tenth of a second, but blink rates can vary from person to person and can range from 2 blinks per minute up to 50 blinks per minute.
4. Repair
The human eye can heal very quickly. It can take about 48 hours, with correct care, for the eye to heal itself from a corneal abrasion or scratch.
5. Blind Spot
Both human eyes have a small blind spot, it is located where the optic nerves attach to the back of the retina. You can’t see this hole in your vision as your eyes cleverly work together to block each other’s blind spot.
6. Babies
New born babies may cry a lot but they do not produce any tears. Tears start to be made at around 3 months old.
7. Colour Blindness
In many common types of colour blindness, people struggle to distinguish between red and green. Colour blindness affects more men than women and about 1 in 10 men have a form of it.
8. Lots of Parts
The human eye is made up of over 2 million working parts.
9. Cornea
The cornea is the window of the eye and the only human tissue that doesn’t have any blood vessels.
10. Transplants
While ophthalmologists can carry out intricate corneal transplants, the whole eye cannot be transplanted. There are millions of nerves connecting the eye to the brain and at present we are not able to rebuild these networks.
About the expert
Mr Hamada | Consultant Ophthalmologist and Corneal Surgeon
MD, MSc, DO (hons), FRCSEd, FRCOphth I am Samer, founder and consultant ophthalmic surgeon with over 20 years’ experience in ophthalmology. I am a world-renowned specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. I’m not only a leading surgeon but also the only dual fellowship trained in corneal diseases in children from reputable institutions in the UK. At Eye Clinic London I work closely with other consultant ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. Our main aim is to make sure our patients get the safest and best treatments available to them. We put your safety before anything else so you can rest assured that if you choose us you will be in the best and safest hands.
