What Is The Percentage Of Red Hair And Blue Eyes?
Redheads in the sun – But the MC1R mutation can affect the health of redheads. A recent study found in melanomas from people carrying just one copy of the ‘red hair’ MC1R gene variant. These are people with one copy of the mutation who don’t always have red hair and pale skin – redheads have two copies of the mutation.
- Researchers predict that because the MC1R mutation results in higher levels of the reddish pigment phaeomelanin, this results in greater susceptibility to UV damage to DNA.
- The higher DNA mutations are estimated to be equivalent to two decades more sun exposure than other skin types.
- Professor Elgar points out that the mutation for paler skin may actually have been an advantage as humans moved out of Africa into northern latitudes, where sunlight is less intense.
- “Because lighter skin improves the absorption of sunlight, it would have enhanced the production of vitamin D by the body in these countries.
“Conversely, redheads now living in regions with intense sunlight, like Australia, are at a disadvantage because they lack the pigment eumelanin in their skin. This pigment makes the skin darker and act as a natural sunscreen. The high amounts of melanin in the iris of brown eyes also provides sun protection, which blue eyes do not.” The ‘red hair’ mutations in the gene MC1R results in more of the red pigment phaeomelanin. Picture: iStock The mechanisms that result in melanoma are complex, and the effects of MC1R are just one piece of the puzzle because people with only one copy of the MC1R mutation have increased risk, and melanomas also occur in areas of skin that are not exposed to sunlight.
‘s SunSmart Manager Heather Walker says the good news is sun protection can reduce the risk of skin cancer risk at any age. While redheads may be at higher risk of skin cancer than other Australians, we are all susceptible to the disease. So all of us need to protect our skin when we’re outdoors during sun protection times (when the UV level is 3 or higher).
“In summer, most Victorians need just a few minutes of sun exposure mid-morning or mid-afternoon for vitamin D levels. The body only absorbs a limited amount of vitamin D at a time, so spending extra time in the sun won’t increase vitamin D levels, but will increase your risk of skin cancer.
- The Cancer Council also advise monitoring skin for new spots or spots that change in shape, size or colour and to see your doctor as soon as possible to get checked out.
- Professor Elgar adds that with respect to cancer and other life-threatening conditions, ultimately and sometimes unfortunately, the survival of particular attributes of our species only comes down to whether individuals living long enough to pass on their genes to offspring.
“Female, redheaded humans usually reproduce long before the average onset age of skin cancer, around 60 years (but it can occur as young as 30 especially in ). So we wouldn’t expect the gene for red hair to die out due to the negative effects of the MC1R gene.”
- It seems the future looks bright for blue-eyed redheads, because enough people carry the genes to keep these traits appearing in the human population.
- So as long as redheads look after their pale skin in the sun, they should have a healthy life with their glorious locks.
- Banner: Getty Images
: Are redheads with blue eyes really going extinct?
What percent has red hair and green eyes?
– The hair, skin, and eye colors you’re born with are all controlled by your genes. Your parents passed these genes down to you, just as their parents passed down their genetic makeup to them. When it comes to hair and eye color, some genes are more dominant than others.
- Yet dominant doesn’t necessarily mean more common.
- What determines your hair, eye, and skin color is a pigment called melanin.
- Genes provide the instructions for producing melanin.
- Your genes determine how much of this pigment you have, and therefore, what color hair and eyes you have.
- The MCR1 gene dictates whether you have red hair, and it’s recessive.
That means you’d need to inherit copies from both parents to have this color combination. Genes also have variants, known as alleles. At least three different genes control eye color, and there can be more than two alleles for each gene. For example, the MCR1 gene comes in two variants: non-red and red.
- The non-red version is dominant.
- Gey, which is one of the genes that determines eye color, comes in two forms: Green and blue.
- Blue is the dominant allele.
- But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
- Also critical to how common a color combination is within a given population is which alleles are circulating.
For example, alleles of the gene OCA2 determine whether someone has brown or not-brown eyes. In populations where more people have the not-brown OCA2 allele — like in Scandinavia — the allele for light eyes is more common, even though it’s recessive. Light-eyed people pass their genes to their children, who pass them to their children, and that eye color perpetuates.
Are redheads naturally stronger?
A McGill University study found that redheads could handle more electric shocks than those with different coloured hair. Other research discovered that gingers are better at handling stabbing or sharp pain.
Is red hair going extinct?
So, Is it true? Are Redheads Going Extinct? – Scientists disagree about the possible extinction of the redheaded gene. There was strong interest when a study released its findings recently. But other scientists are asking about the origins and methods of the study, which was apparently funded by Proctor and Gamble, a conglomerate that makes numerous hair dyes.
How rare is red natural hair?
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here. – : TIL The rarest natural hair color in the world is red, with only 1-2% of the world population having natural red hair. Second is blond, with 3%, then brown/brunette, with 11%, and finally black with