Photosensitive Ganglion Cell - Discovery

Discovery

In 1991 Russell G. Foster and colleagues, including Ignacio Provencio, discovered a non-rod, non-cone photoreceptor in the eyes of mice. It was shown to mediate circadian rhythms, i.e. the body's 24-hour biological clock. Foster was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 2008. These novel cells express the photopigment melanopsin, which was first identified by Provencio and colleagues.

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