Light isn’t something that helps you to see the world, it’s a fundamental force that shapes our lives. Along with making it possible for us to see, light affects the body in very complex ways that we are not even aware of.
The effects of light on the body are deep and many-sided. They include controlling our circadian rhythms and having an effect on our mood and overall health.
So, here in this blog, we’ll let you know Today, we’re going to look into the fascinating topic of how the body reacts to light.
An Overview of the Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm, which is also known as our internal body clock, is at the heart of how our bodies react to light. This cycle of rhythm lasts about 24 hours and is closely connected to the Earth’s day-night cycle.
Light, especially natural sunlight, is a key part of keeping our circadian rhythm in sync and in check. Ganglion cells in the retina are specialized cells that hold melanopsin, a pigment that reacts to light. These cells send messages to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the brain. The SCN is like a master clock that controls when different body functions happen.
Light, especially in the morning, helps reset and align our circadian rhythm, which makes us more awake and alert. On the other hand, less light in the evening tells the body to make melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy.
This natural cycle of light and dark can be thrown off by things like artificial lighting or sleeping at odd times. This can cause circadian misalignment, which can make problems like insomnia and tiredness worse.
The Trouble with Blue Lights
Many things around us have screens these days, so we are much more likely to be exposed to artificial light, especially blue light from electronics. However, blue light can also have a lot of benefits. You can read this blog article from Celluma to learn more about some of these benefits.
While blue light is necessary during the day to keep you awake and help your brain work, too much of it in the evening can be bad.
More than other wavelengths, blue light stops the production of melatonin, which could mess up sleep patterns.
Researchers have found that limiting your exposure to blue light at night, for example by wearing glasses or screen filters that block blue light, may help lessen these effects.
Electronic devices are also getting “night mode” features from some manufacturers, which lowers the amount of blue light they give off at night.
Light’s Effects on Mood and Mental Health: More Than Just Sleep
There are more ways that light affects our health than just sleep. Natural sunlight has been linked to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mood.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that happens in cycles with the seasons. It is thought to be caused by not getting enough sunlight, especially during the darker winter months.
Light therapy, which involves being exposed to bright artificial light that looks like sunlight, is a common way to treat SAD. It is thought that this therapy will increase the production of serotonin and balance the levels of melatonin, which will improve mood and ease depression symptoms.
The Changes in the Eye
The eye is an amazing piece of biological engineering because it has many complex parts that work together to adjust to different levels of light. The colored part of the eye called the iris changes the size of the pupil to control how much light gets into the eye.
When it’s bright outside, the pupil gets smaller to stop light from getting into the eye and hurting the sensitive retina. On the other hand, when there isn’t much light, the pupil gets bigger to let in more light, which makes it easier to see in dim light.
The retina is at the back of the eye. It has special cells called rods and cones that make vision possible. Rods work best in dim light and are essential for night vision. Cones, on the other hand, work best in bright light and are in charge of color vision.
These cells work together in complex ways that let us see a lot of different things in a variety of lighting conditions.
Photoreception Without Vision: The Mechanism
The eyes’ main job is to see, but they are also very important for non-visual photoreception. As we already said, melanopsin is a photopigment that is very sensitive to blue light.
It is found in ganglion cells in the retina. Some of the things that these cells do that you can’t see are controlling the circadian rhythm, affecting alertness, and affecting mood. New research has found more photoreceptive pathways in the skin that are not used for seeing.
Opsins are light-sensitive proteins that are found in skin cells and play a role in many physiological processes. For example, being in the sun makes the skin make more vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and a healthy immune system.
Bottom Line
Light has a huge effect on the human body, which shows how closely our biology and the environment are connected. Light is an all-around force that shapes our daily lives. It controls our sleep-wake cycles and affects our mood and overall health.
Understanding and respecting how light affects our bodies is becoming more and more important as we move through a world that is becoming more and more lit up.