New Mars Forums

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: The Circadian Clock

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/time-05b.html]*What if you could "reset" your circadian clock...

...ahead 8 hours via a pill and light therapy?  Potentials for persons who fly extensively (jet lag) and shift workers discussed.  Also, perhaps a certain form of cancer may be better thwarted.

But as interesting as that, to me, is the info about the circadian clock.  Its location in the brain was pinpointed by scientists 30 years ago.  It's a cluster of brain cells less than half the size of a pencil eraser.

All terrestrial organisms – even single-celled organisms – have circadian rhythms. In some cases, the circadian clock contributes to survival strategies as simple as not drying out when the sun comes up. Plants and animals have their own environmental niches and also unique temporal niches, as any cat owner can tell you.

"...survival strategies as simple as not drying out when the Sun comes up." 

Such intricacy. 

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

dicktice

Member

From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Registered: 2002-11-01

Posts: 1,764

Re: The Circadian Clock

Cindy: Google "Melatonin" and then post again. It does just what your post suggests and it's available off the shelf, right now, at your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart pharmacy.

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: The Circadian Clock

Cindy: Google "Melatonin" and then post again. It does just what your post suggests and it's available off the shelf, right now, at your friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart pharmacy.

*Hi dicktice:  Well, actually I'm not interested in resetting my own circadian clock.  I just thought the article itself was interesting. 

Hopefully if some folks who read at New Mars are interested, though, they'll see your post.

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: The Circadian Clock

I am wondering how the circadian clock interacts with hibernation or that they are totally none connected functions?