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Sleep is a physiological behavior that is common in all animal species. It forms around one third of a human life. It is not known clearly the exact functions of sleep but it seems to be essential for survival as prolonged sleep deprivation leads to severe physical impairment followed by cognitive loss and eventually death.

Key Event that Controls the Timing of the Biological Clock Identified

Molecular clocks in our cells synchronize our bodies with the cycle of night and day, cue us for sleep and waking, and drive daily cycles in virtually every aspect of our physiology. Scientists studying the molecular mechanisms of our biological clocks have now identified a key event that controls the timing of the clock.

23 May 2023

Study Examines the Role of Neuronal Diversity in Cognitive Functions

Neurons in a key area of the brain have different functions based on their exact genetic identity, and understanding this diversity could lead to better understanding of the brain's computational flexibility and memory capacity, potentially informing disease treatment options, Cornell researchers report in a new study.

23 May 2023

Large Testing Arena Helps Study How Mosquitoes Find Us Over Long Distances

We know a lot about mosquito preferences up close, but how do mosquitoes find us from up to a hundred meters away? Using an ice-rink-sized outdoor testing arena in Zambia, researchers found that human body odor is critical for mosquito host-seeking behavior over long distances.

22 May 2023

Liver Cells Influence the Body's Internal Circadian Clock, Study Reveals

University of Queensland-led research has revealed liver cells influence the body's internal circadian clock, which was previously believed to be solely controlled by the brain.

18 May 2023

Study Shows Profound Fluctuations in Gut Microbiome Throughout the Day and Across Seasons

The balance of microbes in the human gut varies substantially from morning to night and even more by season -; with profound fluctuations completely transforming the microbiome from summer to winter, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023.

28 Apr 2023

Research Deepens Our Understanding of Circadian Rhythm Regulation

New research from a multidisciplinary team helps to illuminate the mechanisms behind circadian rhythms, offering new hope for dealing with jet lag, insomnia and other sleep disorders.

27 Apr 2023

The Implications of Biological Clock on Lung Health

The body’s biological clock is interfered with by abnormal sleep habits, such as those of night shift workers, which have been connected to lung health problems.

18 Apr 2023

UCF Scientists Develop a Digital Topographical Map of the Cardiac Sympathetic Neural Network

A team of UCF College of Medicine researchers has created a digital topographical map of the cardiac sympathetic neural network, the region that controls the body's heart rate and its "fight-or-flight" response.

18 Apr 2023

Poor Sleep Combined With High Genetic Susceptibility Results in Greater Asthma Risk

Poor quality sleep may bolster a person's genetic susceptibility to asthma, potentially doubling their risk of being diagnosed with the condition, suggests a large UK Biobank study, published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

6 Apr 2023

Cold Temperature Increases Human Life Expectancy

Cold activates a cellular cleansing mechanism that breaks down harmful protein aggregations responsible for various diseases associated with aging.

4 Apr 2023

Study reveals the cellular composition and circuit organization of the locus coeruleus

A small nucleus in the brainstem called locus coeruleus (literally the "blue spot,") is the primary source of a major neuromodulator, norepinephrine (NE), an important mediator of the 'fight or flight' response in animals. However, very little is known about the local connections of this small albeit critically important group of neurons.

16 Mar 2023

Scientists reveal mechanisms behind oxygen toxicity

When it comes to oxygen, you can have too much of a good thing. Breathing air that contains higher levels of oxygen than the usual 21 percent found in Earth's atmosphere can cause organ damage, seizures, and even death in people and animals, particularly if it's in excess of the body's oxygen needs. Until now, however, scientists have mostly speculated about the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, known as oxygen toxicity, or hyperoxia.

9 Mar 2023

An alternative option to treat ADCY5-related dyskinesia in patients

The asthma medication theophylline can be used to treat the movement disorder ADCY5-related dyskinesia. A recent study conducted by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), University Medicine Halle, and the University of Leipzig Medical Center demonstrated this.

7 Mar 2023

New model, C. elegans, helps pursue research on Parkinson's disease

A tiny worm called the C. elegans is enabling scientists to explore the emerging theory that Parkinson's disease starts in the gut.

1 Mar 2023

Human sleep architecture varies substantially across seasons, study shows

Whether we're night owls or morning larks, our body clocks are set by the sun. Theoretically, changing day length and light exposure over the course of the year could affect the duration and quality of our sleep.

20 Feb 2023

Study charts seasonal and circadian genetic variation across the human body

The daily rotation of Earth and its yearly voyage around the Sun marks the natural rhythm of life on the planet.

14 Feb 2023

Oral difelikefalin could reduce the intensity of itch in patients with notalgia paresthetica

Notalgia paresthetica-;a nerve disorder characterized by a persistent itch in the upper back-;is a common and underdiagnosed condition worldwide.

9 Feb 2023

The 12-hour cyclic gene activity abnormalities in schizophrenic brains

The first proof of 12-hour cycles of gene activity in the human brain is presented by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the United States.

From University of Pittsburgh 26 Jan 2023

Research sheds light into how a person's daily rhythm and activity levels relate to intelligence

Night owls may be looking forward to falling back into autumn standard time but a new study from the University of Ottawa has found Daylight Saving Time may also suit morning types just fine.

7 Nov 2022

Spores integrate environmental signals over time

When exposed to starvation and stress, certain bacteria enter a dormant state in which life functions cease. These cells, known as spores, can resist punishing extremes of heat, pressure, and even the extreme conditions of outer space by entering a profound hibernation.

7 Oct 2022