Each organ of the human body has a different function, and eyes are, of course, among our indispensable parts. But one cannot help but think. If we had three eyes instead of two, wouldn’t our field of vision increase even more?
So, in such a situation, how would an extra eye change our lives?
In fact, some animals have the third eye that we dream of.
For example, some spiders have eight eyes, giving them greater motion detection and depth perception. Some amphibians, lizards and sharks have a third eye on the top of their heads.
This third eye is called the parietal eye and is usually covered with a thin layer of skin, making it probably impossible to see. The parietal eye, also known as the third eye or pineal eye, is actually part of the epithalamus of some animal species.
This eye is sensitive to light. It is connected to a pineal gland that regulates hormone production to regulate the biological clock and body temperature. Again, this third eye has its own lens and retina, just like the other eyes. It also serves as a compass.
So why do we have to be content with two eyes?
Although the three eyes dream seems quite logical at first glance, it is actually quite illogical in some respects. If humans had a third eye, unfortunately this eye would not be as developed as the other two.
The eye can be considered a very cognitively tiring burden for the brain.
Adding one more eye to the human body can increase the flow of information to the brain, but the brain does not have enough mental resources to process this extra information. This third eye would probably only be functional for detecting light and movement.
Moreover, this is functionally identical to the role played by the parietal eye, which is also a relict organ found in the brains of some reptiles. Theoretically, a third eye could offer an additional line of defense by helping to see potential dangers, but we already have an organ like the ear that does this.
If we had a third eye, there would be a big question mark where it would be located in our body.
Because the brain takes up most of the available space in the skull, making room for a third eye requires removing tissue from a section of the skull. Since there is nothing at the level of our head that would attract our attention, it would not make sense to place this third eye at the top of the head.
When it is placed at the back of the head, there is confusion as to which side of the eye to focus on and things get complicated. The back of the head is already covered with hair. A third eye placed on the face will not provide a different function than the other two eyes.
Surprisingly, about 6 years ago, a baby was born with three eyes.
In fact, calling it three-eyed is not very accurate because this baby has an inherited disorder called craniofacial duplication, in which the face appears to be duplicated on the skull. So this doll has a second face, not a third eye.
Only a minority of babies born with this hereditary disorder make it to the world, and a third eye rarely appears at birth.
Additionally, researchers found that this African baby’s third eye was blurred and that all three eyelids moved together when he blinked.
In summary, although this idea seems to be functional at first, our two eyes are actually quite sufficient in terms of viewing angle.
Our other content in the science category:
23108
