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Retinal Ganglion Cells

Meaning

Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) are the primary output neurons of the retina, receiving visual information from photoreceptors and transmitting it via their axons, which form the optic nerve, to various visual and non-visual centers in the brain. Crucially, a subset of these cells, the intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs), contain the photopigment melanopsin and are essential for regulating non-visual functions, particularly the entrainment of the circadian rhythm and the suppression of melatonin secretion. These cells are a direct link between light exposure and hormonal cycles.