Mouse vision has a rhythm all its own

In the eyes of mammals, visual information is processed on a daily schedule set within the eyes themselves—not one dictated by the brain, according to a new report in the August 24 issue of the journal Cell, a publication of Cell Press. The researchers found in mice that the eyes’ normal rhythmic response to light requires only that a molecular "clock" inside the retina go on ticking. The retina is a layer of nerve tissue covering the back of the eyeball, which is often likened to the film in a camera; without it, images can't be captured.