The Quanta Podcast How the Body’s Trillions of Clocks Keep Time
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Sep 25, 2015 Explore the fascinating role of cellular clocks in human health and development, and discover how the PASD1 protein impacts these rhythms, potentially influencing cancer and stem cell function. Dive into innovative research that merges physics with ecology to enhance biodiversity understanding, especially in complex ecosystems like the Amazon. Learn about the challenges of studying species distribution in regions like the Western Ghats and how new, simplified ecological modeling methods could revolutionize conservation strategies.
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Peripheral Tissues Keep Their Own Time
- Peripheral tissues like liver and heart have independent clocks that can run without the brain's suprachiasmatic nucleus.
- This decentralization means tissues tune local gene expression to daily demands beyond central control.
Feedback Loop Produces 24‑Hour Rhythm
- CLOCK and BMAL1 activate genes including PER, which then accumulates and suppresses CLOCK-BMAL1 in a roughly 24-hour feedback loop.
- This transcription-translation feedback establishes daily peaks and troughs of gene activity.
Some Cells Intentionally Lack a Clock
- Not all cells keep time: embryonic stem cells, testes, and many cancers lack robust circadian oscillations.
- The absence of clocks raises questions about links between pluripotency, reproduction, and uncontrolled cell division.