| Retinohypothalamic tract | |
|---|---|
 The retinohypothalamic tract transmits information on light levels from the eyes to the hypothalamus | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | tractus retinohypothalamicus |
| TA98 | A14.1.08.960 |
| TA2 | 5768 |
| FMA | 77010 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
In neuroanatomy, the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) is a photic neural input pathway involved in the circadian rhythms of mammals.[1] The origin of the retinohypothalamic tract is the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC), which contain the photopigment melanopsin. The axons of the ipRGCs belonging to the retinohypothalamic tract project directly, monosynaptically, to the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) via the optic nerve and the optic chiasm.[a][2] The suprachiasmatic nuclei receive and interpret information on environmental light, dark and day length, important in the entrainment of the "body clock". They can coordinate peripheral "clocks" and direct the pineal gland to secrete the hormone melatonin.
- ^ Gooley JJ, Lu J, Chou TC, Scammell TE, Saper CB (2001). "Melanopsin in cells of origin of the retinohypothalamic tract". Nat. Neurosci. 4 (12): 1165. doi:10.1038/nn768. PMID 11713469. S2CID 19406245.
- ^ Afifi, A.K.; Bergman, R.A. (2005-01-28). Functional Neuroanatomy (paperback) (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-07-140812-7.
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