Retinal development: second sight comes first.
Mammals are functionally blind at birth because responses to rod and cone photoreceptor activation are immature. Recent studies show that the newborn retina is nevertheless sensitive to light. Indeed, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells are present from birth and already make functional connections with the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the site of the central circadian clock.
Sernagor
Evelyne
E
School of Neurology, Neurobiology and Psychiatry, Newcastle University Medical Sciences, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Evelyne.Sernagor@ncl.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000378:metabolism; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000099210:Melanopsin
D017299:Rod Opsins; D000099210:Melanopsin