The Retina and Circadian Rhythms

The retina plays a critical role in the organization of the circadian system by synchronizing the brain's central clock with the external day through transduction of the daily light/dark cycle. However, the substantial variation in luminance imposed on the retina between day and night also poses a challenge to its role as a sensory tissue - how is it possible to faithfully encode the enormous dynamic range of luminance that can exceed 10 orders of magnitude? The Retina and Circadian Rhythms summarizes the knowledge accumulated over the last 30 years about the organization of the retinal circadian clock in many different species, concentrating on the roles that this circadian system plays in retinal function.