What Makes Your Eyes So Amazing?

We use our eyes practically every second of the waking day. They allow us to get from A to B, complete domestic and work tasks, and even communicate with those around us. And yet, our eyes often don’t receive the recognition or appreciation they deserve.

In some ways, this goes to show just how incredible they are. After all, if we don’t notice what our eyes are doing for us, that means they are working pretty well. It’s only when something goes wrong with our eyes and vision that we stop to appreciate how fortunate we’ve been.

So, we want to spread a little love for our forgotten peepers. We’re taking a look at some facts about our eyes that are sure to amaze and maybe inspire you to give them the credit they deserve.

Eyes began developing around 540 million years ago

Life on Earth may have begun at least 3.5 billion years ago, but it would take 3 billion years before the first organisms evolved to have eyes. In fact, eyes first appeared around 540 million years ago in trilobites, marine creatures which you have likely seen fossilised in rocks.

Of course, these eyes were much more primitive than our own; however, they allowed them to establish day/night cycles and better coordinate their behaviour with their surroundings.

When we think of the many different kinds of eyes on the planet today, it is incredible to think that they all originated from this single origin. Yet every species has evolved to have eyes that work best for its needs.

For example, birds of prey have much greater visual acuity than humans. This helps them to spot and track their prey whilst flying through the air. Some animals can even detect ultraviolet light – something that we humans cannot do.

96% of animal species have eyes

For humans, eyes are pretty essential for everyday functioning, allowing us to navigate the world more easily. This is also true for around 96% of other animals on the planet. From insects and birds to whales, tigers, and snakes, having eyes often offers significant survival advantages.

However, some animals manage not only to survive, but to thrive, without the need for eyes. Take the blind, legless lizard, for instance. These snake-looking reptiles have evolved to lose their legs, allowing them to push through the earth and burrow underground. Without the need for eyes in this dark world, the legless lizard survives thanks to its impressive sense of smell.

Similarly, the wide-mouth blindcat, a type of freshwater catfish, lives in an environment so dark that having eyes would be pretty much pointless. Living in the dark, watery depths, the blindcat senses motion from vibrations in the water. This fish is so sensitive to these vibrations that it manages to be the top predator in its habitat!

Your eye took 360,000 generations to evolve

As mentioned before, there are a huge number of different eye types out there, ranging from the simple to the complex. It is believed that eyes evolved from simple to complex through a series of gradual changes, and researchers at Lund University came up with a plan to estimate how long this might have taken.

Starting with a flat, light-sensitive patch, the researchers made over 1,800 tiny improvements, such as constricting the eye opening and adding a lens, until they had a complex, image-forming eye. According to their research, they estimated that these changes could have taken place over 360,000 generations, equating to a few hundred thousand years.

Charles Darwin didn’t understand eyes

Charles Darwin is well-known for his contributions to our understanding of evolution. But that isn’t to say he understood every aspect of his theory. In fact, Darwin openly admitted that he was stumped when it came to the evolution of the eye, stating, “could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”

But evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins did come up with an explanation for the evolution of our eyes. He suggests that the step-by-step path of the development of the eye was due to them being “organs of utility”, rather than “luxury organs” such as a deer’s antlers or a peacock’s tail.

Of course, this doesn’t deny the aesthetic value of the eye or its role in mating rituals. Rather, it shows the beauty that is inherent in functional evolution.

What we see makes us who we are

Many things undeniably make us who we are. But with 80% of our memories attributable to our vision, our eyes certainly play a massive role.

Studies have shown that people who were born blind do not dream in images. Most people who are blind lose their vision later in life and, as such, continue to dream visually. However, as time passes, a blind person becomes less likely to dream in pictures and may experience more olfactory, auditory, and sensorial dreams.

Scallops can have over a hundred eyes

When we think of scallops, we tend to think of a fairly simple structure housed inside a hinged shell – but you likely don’t imagine them having eyes, let alone fifty to a hundred of them! And yet, scallops’ eyes may be more complex than scientists previously thought.

The structure of these eyes is similar to the optics found in advanced telescopes. But the purpose of these eyes has long remained a mystery. Some research, which involved showing scallops images of food (that is, moving particles on a screen) , suggests that these eyes may help them assess conditions for optimal feeding.

Your eyes get the biggest workout of all muscles

When you think of your most active muscles, you might think of your feet, your hands, or even your face.

But our eyes are constantly contracting and dilating to adjust light and focus, compensating for every small head movement, and helping us to blink up to 20 times a minute. That means that the most active muscles in our bodies, by far, are in our eyes.

In fact, our eyes are even moving when we are asleep in what is known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. These movements are believed to be due to bursts of activity in the visual cortex that occur when we are dreaming.

Eyes are a universal symbol of religion and culture

Throughout human history, eyes have been used as religious and cultural symbols by many groups of people around the world.

Take the hamsa, for instance. Also known as the “Hand of Fatima” or the “Hand of God”, this palm-shaped amulet featuring an eye in the centre is believed to be a symbol of protection and good fortune, and to ward off the “evil eye”.

The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse that is transmitted through a malicious glare. This glare is believed to have the ability to bring misfortune, injury, or even death to those who receive it, so many people turn to amulets or talismans to protect against it.

The Eye of Providence, or the All-Seeing Eye, is a symbol depicting an eye in the centre of a triangle, often with rays of light emitting from it. This represents God’s omnipresent watchfulness over humanity. It is associated with the Trinity, as symbolised by the triangle, and is used by many associations around the world.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain

Ostriches are well-known for sticking their heads in the ground at the first sign of danger – arguably not the smartest survival technique. And this becomes less surprising when you realise that the bird’s brain is smaller than one of its eyes.

Each ostrich eye is around the same size as a billiard ball. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much room in the bird’s head for a brain. But the ostrich manages to make up for its small brain in other areas, which have allowed it to survive for over 120 million years!

Being light and aerodynamic allow the ostrich to be the fastest bipedal runner in the animal kingdom. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour – a speed it can maintain for up to half an hour!

So, as you can see from these facts, our eyes are truly amazing. If you’d like to learn more about making the most of your eyes and vision with Laser Eye Surgery, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today!