Cells' internal clocks revealed

[TechBear_Seattle]

Cells' internal clocks revealed

...

It has long been known that the body has a biological clock that regulates sleeping, digestion and brain performance to fit in with the different demands of day and night-time living.

The brain has overall control of this time-keeping mechanism, but individual cells appear to have their own "clocks", which can be affected by a series of clock genes.

A German-Swiss team led by Dr Steven Brown of the University of Zurich took skin biopsies from 28 volunteers and grew their cells up in the lab.

They measured how fast the "clocks" in the skin cells "ticked", then compared these results with questionnaires showing whether each subject was an early type ("lark") or a late type ("owl").

They found that the "clocks" in the skin cells matched up with behaviour in most of the subjects.

The full article can be read at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7212362.stm

[MilesColtrane]

1. YEEEEeeeeaaaaaahhhh Booooooyyyyy!!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. That is one ugly multi-cellular clock n/t

[Duer 157099]

3. I knew it! I knew it!

His group has identified a mutation in a gene known as Period3 that makes someone more likely to be a morning person.

The mutation makes them more prone to tiredness during the day, so they prefer to go to bed early.

It's mutant behavior to be a morning person!! I frickin' KNEW it!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Leave it to the Swiss to work out clock mechanisms