title: Neurobiology: the eye within the brain.
abstract: All vertebrates except mammals have photoreceptors within their brains; however, the light-sensitive cells have never been unambiguously identified. A new paper provides direct evidence of photosensitivity in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons in quail brain that mediate the seasonal reproductive response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4328, USA. Electronic address: mm7e@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menaker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011784:Quail / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*