Iris and retina: fully genetically determined?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the genetic determination of iris and retinal patterns, specifically questioning whether these biometric features are fully genetically determined in normal cases, as opposed to being influenced by disorders or accidents.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether iris and retinal patterns are the same in identical twins, suggesting that if they are not, this would imply that these features are not completely genetically determined.
  • Another participant references a study indicating that iris and retinal patterns are indeed not the same in identical twins, which they interpret as answering the initial question posed.
  • A third participant introduces a related idea about the uniqueness of fingerprints and suggests that similar biological mechanisms may influence eye growth and pattern formation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the genetic determination of iris and retinal patterns, with some suggesting that these features are not entirely genetically determined based on evidence from twin studies, while others highlight the potential influence of biological mechanisms.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the broader implications of genetic versus environmental influences on biometric features, and there may be limitations in the referenced study regarding its applicability to the general population.

nomadreid
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TL;DR
The capillary arrangement in the retina that is used for the retina identification scans, and the pattern of the iris used for iris identification scan: apart from disorders, are they determined at least partly by the environment (say, in the womb, like fingerprints) or fully determined by genetics (like eye colour)?
I am posing two questions, one for each of two biometric techniques
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_recognition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinal_scan
Attempting to find the answer to the question posed in the Summary, I only get articles about hereditary eye disorders.
I am referring to the normal cases... obviously either one of these may be altered by a disorder or disease or an accident.
 
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Are these patterns the same in identical twins?
I suspect not.
If not, they are not completely genetically determined since identical twins have the same genetics.
 
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Watch this brief and delightful video from MinuteEarth to learn more about what makes your fingerprints unique. It is reasonable to believe that similar mechanisms would affect the way your eyes grow.
Looking again at your first post, you've probably seen it.
 
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