On the Importance of Proper Circadian Rhythm

Part 2 - The Roles of Melanopsin and Neuropsin

We can view the visual light spectrum because of opsins, a group of light-sensitive proteins found in the photoreceptors of our retinas, but can our eyes sense light themselves? There are multiple opsin proteins that our body produces, five that convert light photons into an electrochemical signal which is one of the first steps of vision, and two, melanopsin and neuropsin that allow us to sense light exposure, helping to entrain our circadian rhythms. Originally it was believed that our rods and cones within the outer retina by themselves reacted to light exposure and helped set our circadian rhythm entrainment with our brain. Both opsin proteins help our retinal cells absorb different forms of electromagnetic radiation and perform other bodily functions allowing our body to adapt to different types of light exposure. Finally, the discovery of these opsin proteins in the past twenty years has radically changed what we thought about our circadian rhythms and how light exposure plays a role in our overall health.[1] [2]