Does the presence or absence of light have any effect at all on the blind? I recall reading that light also enters our nervous system through an alternative pathway and affects, I think, the pineal gland.
by 
Roger Kovaciny
ANSWERS: 2
-
You're kind of right. Light does not enter the pineal gland, but rather the pineal gland reacts to different proteins around the body which are stimulated by light. The pineal gland controls the release of melatonin, which controls our sleeping patterns, and light will repress melatonin levels, keeping us awake (which is why humans find it easier to sleep at night). One experiment showed that melatonin levels could be altered by shining a bright light behind a person's knee, so the eyes are only one passageway, and so light still affects blind people, despite the fact they cannot use it as a social cue.
-
well everyone's body needs some sunlight for vitamin D and such..however too much is bad. if someone's legally blind though they dont necessarily see black...they could see shadows of dark and light, so light might be good for them from an emotional stand point too.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC