Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
06:53
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Two oscillators are better than one: a circadian pacemaker escapes from the light
1Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
Neuron
|March 3, 2007
Summary
Continuous light exposure disrupts natural body rhythms. However, a novel group of pacemaker neurons can surprisingly drive rhythmic behaviors even in constant light, distinct from those active in darkness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
- Circadian Rhythms
Background:
- Constant light exposure is known to suppress the natural circadian rhythms essential for organismal health.
- The primary pacemaker neurons responsible for circadian rhythms are primarily understood in the context of light-dark cycles, not constant light.
Discussion:
- Murad et al. identify a novel cluster of pacemaker neurons that maintain rhythmic behavior under continuous light conditions.
- These newly identified neurons are distinct from the traditionally recognized pacemaker neurons that regulate rhythms in constant darkness.
Key Insights:
- Discovery of a novel neural circuit driving circadian rhythms in constant light.
- Demonstration that distinct neuronal populations govern circadian timing under different light conditions.
- Provides new insights into the plasticity and redundancy of the circadian system.
Outlook:
- Further research into the molecular mechanisms governing these novel pacemaker neurons.
- Investigating the role of these neurons in other species and under various environmental conditions.
- Potential therapeutic targets for circadian rhythm disorders caused by light disruption.
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
02:45Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
01:15Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
01:31Oscillations In An LC Circuit
An idealized LC circuit of zero resistance can oscillate without any source of emf by shifting the energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. In such an LC circuit, if the capacitor contains a charge q before the switch is closed, then all the energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor. This energy is given by
01:22Applications of RC Circuits
A relaxation oscillator is one of the applications of RC circuits. A neon lamp relaxation oscillator comprises a capacitor, a resistor, a voltage source, and a lamp. The lamp acts like an open circuit, with infinite resistance until the potential difference across the lamp reaches a specific voltage. At that voltage, the lamp acts like a short circuit with zero resistance, and the capacitor discharges through the lamp, thus producing light. Once the capacitor is fully discharged through the...