[(Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. The physiological non-visual effects of light)].

In addition to enabling us to see, light fundamentally impacts on our physiology and behaviour through the non-visual pathways in the brain that control our circadian clock. These effects are largely mediated by the intrisically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) which express the short-wavelength-sensitive photopigment melanopsin. The non-visual effects of light and the underlying sensory and central mechanisms are an active and open area of investigation.