Foster Russell G
Department of Visual Neuroscience, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, UK.
J Neuroendocrinol. 2004 Feb;16(2):179-80. doi: 10.1111/j.0953-8194.2004.01141.x.
Research over the past decade has shown that the rods and cones are not the only photoreceptors of the eye. There also exists a population of directly light sensitive ganglion cells that act as brightness detectors and regulate a wide variety of different photosensory tasks, including the regulation of 24-h circadian clocks, synthesis of the hormone melatonin, pupil size and behaviour. These receptors may even help modulate our mood and sense of well-being.
