Theory About Biological Clock Changed

**Naiya** · 10-13-2009 06:11 AM

Excerpts:

University of Michigan mathematicians and their British colleagues say they have identified the signal that the brain sends to the rest of the body to control biological rhythms, a finding that overturns a long-held theory about our internal clock.

Imagine a metronome in the brain that ticks quickly throughout the day, then slows its pace at night. The rest of the body hears the ticking and adjusts its daily rhythms, also known as circadian rhythms, accordingly.
The researchers found that during the day, SCN cells expressing per1 sustain an electrically excited state but do not fire. They fire for a brief period around dusk, then remain quiet throughout the night before releasing another burst of activity around dawn. This firing pattern is the signal, or code, the brain sends to the rest of the body so it can keep time.

"The old theory was that the cells in the SCN which contain the clock are firing fast during the day but slow at night. But now we've shown that the cells that actually contain the clock mechanism are silent during the day, when everybody thought they were firing fast," Diekman said.

Piggins said the findings "force us to completely reassess what we thought we knew about electrical activity in the brain's circadian clock." In addition, the results demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary collaborative research, he said.

Full Article

**Sisyphus50** · 10-13-2009 10:56 AM

Makes sense from an economic stand point. Why fire off and on all day, wasting energy.

There's a reason why the cannon on Edinburgh castle is fired once at 1pm on a Sunday so the ships in the harbour can set their time pieces. Because its inefficient to fire it 12 times at noon.

**Adam** · 10-13-2009 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Alextanium

Makes sense from an economic stand point. Why fire off and on all day, wasting energy.

There's a reason why the cannon on Edinburgh castle is fired once at 1pm on a Sunday so the ships in the harbour can set their time pieces. Because its inefficient to fire it 12 times at noon.

That's a good analogy, but maybe not the reason?

basicall what you're saying is that the body gets a warning shot at dusk to remind us we're ready to start resting, and another shot in the morning to awaken. Interesting

**Photolysis** · 10-13-2009 12:21 PM

As Alex says, it's simple economics. Nerve impulses work in the same way. If you pick up a hot object the nerves don't repeatedly say "it's hot, it's hot, it's hot", just "your hand is burning up damnit" and "hey, it's all cool now". In other words, they inform of change, instead of repeating information redundantly.

**Xei** · 10-13-2009 12:56 PM

It's probably more complex than that. The amount of energy required by a few neurons among the 100,000,000,000 in our body is such a little thing that it's not subject to significant selection pressure. Rather, the brain as a whole most likely adopted this kind of logic from the beginning of its evolution.

**nina** · 10-13-2009 07:42 PM

So, if they fire once at dawn and once at dusk, and remain quiet during the night and day...how does the body know whether it is day or night? (or is that something completely different involving melatonin, etc)

**Naiya** · 10-13-2009 10:05 PM

You know, I was wondering the same thing Aqua. o_O I have no idea tbh, lol, but I suppose it does have to do with hormones or something.

**Adam** · 10-14-2009 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Aquanina

So, if they fire once at dawn and once at dusk, and remain quiet during the night and day...how does the body know whether it is day or night? (or is that something completely different involving melatonin, etc)

I would have thought so. External cues must tell the body when it's day and night. I read something somewhere that the eyes pass on information on the daylight and night to the pineal gland so it would make sense I guess

**nina** · 10-14-2009 02:59 PM

I have been nocturnal before. For several months. It got to the point that the very moment I began to see any bit of sunlight dawning my body/mind was like "ok, time to sleep!" ...and the moment it would begin to get dark, I was awake and ready to go. It was strange, but I really enjoyed it. I would probably try to be nocturnal again if I didn't have school during the day.

**Licity** · 10-14-2009 08:54 PM

Enter TV infomercials for shock treatments to cure insomnia!

**Naiya** · 10-14-2009 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Licity

Enter TV infomercials for shock treatments to cure insomnia!

lol, the sad thing is how easily I see that happening.

**Hercuflea** · 10-15-2009 02:21 AM

So you mean, the theory of how long women have to have babies is changed?

**Xei** · 10-15-2009 12:37 PM

:l

**Sisyphus50** · 10-15-2009 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Hercuflea

So you mean, the theory of how long women have to have babies is changed?

Did you read the first post.... at all?

**wasup** · 10-15-2009 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by Hercuflea

So you mean, the theory of how long women have to have babies is changed?

**Naiya** · 10-16-2009 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Hercuflea

So you mean, the theory of how long women have to have babies is changed?

lol. Read the first post.

Thread: Theory About Biological Clock Changed

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display

Theory About Biological Clock Changed

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions