Abstract:To adapt to daily environmental changes, animals exhibit behavioral and physiological circadian rhythmic variations. These include particular states such as sleep-wake cycles, as well as less conspicuous oscillations in neural, metabolic, endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune functions. The circadian rhythm is crucial for human physiology, primarily coordinating cellular functions with daily environmental cues. Disruptions in its pathways, such as frequent shifts between day and night, can lead to disruptions in normal circadian rhythms, thereby increasing the risk of disease. Environmental day-night variations transmit light signals perceived by the retina directly through the retinohypothalamic tract to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which houses the circadian pacemaker, regulating the entire bodys circadian rhythm. Many ocular tissues exhibit circadian rhythms to coordinate their physiological processes with light-dark cycles. As a crucial organ for circadian photoreception, changes in both physiological and pathological conditions of the eye can lead to alterations in circadian rhythms. Concurrently, changes in circadian rhythms also influence the development and progression of ocular diseases. Therefore, understanding how to mitigate circadian disruptions impact on diseases is crucial. This paper aims to explore the ocular circadian rhythms and their implications for the development and progression of ocular diseases, summarizing existing research progress and providing new insights for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases.