Researchers from the University of Southern California found a strong link with the day-night cycle of life in the face of the earth. This association also occurred in places previously unimaginable.
"Life is very influenced by the rotation of the earth," said researchers from the University of Southern California, Andrew Y. Gracey.
Linkage of human biological cycle for 24 hours has long been known as the circadian rhythm. These rhythms regulate work patterns and metabolic hormones. This cycle is common in living things that live on land.
"Life is very influenced by the rotation of the earth," said researchers from the University of Southern California, Andrew Y. Gracey.
Linkage of human biological cycle for 24 hours has long been known as the circadian rhythm. These rhythms regulate work patterns and metabolic hormones. This cycle is common in living things that live on land.
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Earth's rotation. (Picture from: http://hhe.wikispaces.com/) |
Researchers wanted to explore whether the circadian cycle also occur in other living creatures who live in unusual locations. Gracey directs research on mussels, a type of shellfish that live in between land and sea in the dark shells.
Most of the activity of mussels is determined by the tidal cycle, or commonly referred to as the tidal cycle. When surrounded by air at low tide, mussels will close their shells and fasting of oxygen using anaerobic metabolism. When the tide, mussels drowned in the sea floor, and then breathe and gather food.
"The process of biological change drastically when they change the tides," said Gracey, who is also assistant professor of biological sciences University of Southern California. Of tidal influence, the scientists argue circadian rhythms no longer applied to the body of mussels, including the activity of genes.
To check this conjecture, Gracey perform simulations in the laboratory. They created an aquarium with artificial tides that can pump water every six hours. For four consecutive days, he collected samples every two hours at the expense of their sleep time.
"The data collected is very good because it has a high time resolution," said Gracey. After conducting laboratory experiments, he did a simulation in nature. Mussels in cages placed in the dock and were monitored for 50 hours.
The result is surprising: about 80-90 percent of the genes in the body's circadian rhythm mussels. This figure far exceeded previous estimates investigators alleged. This finding makes biological cycle of 24 hours due to the rotation of the earth more and more found in living things, including the living beings who do not live on land. *** [SCIENCEDAILY | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3646]
Most of the activity of mussels is determined by the tidal cycle, or commonly referred to as the tidal cycle. When surrounded by air at low tide, mussels will close their shells and fasting of oxygen using anaerobic metabolism. When the tide, mussels drowned in the sea floor, and then breathe and gather food.
"The process of biological change drastically when they change the tides," said Gracey, who is also assistant professor of biological sciences University of Southern California. Of tidal influence, the scientists argue circadian rhythms no longer applied to the body of mussels, including the activity of genes.
To check this conjecture, Gracey perform simulations in the laboratory. They created an aquarium with artificial tides that can pump water every six hours. For four consecutive days, he collected samples every two hours at the expense of their sleep time.
"The data collected is very good because it has a high time resolution," said Gracey. After conducting laboratory experiments, he did a simulation in nature. Mussels in cages placed in the dock and were monitored for 50 hours.
The result is surprising: about 80-90 percent of the genes in the body's circadian rhythm mussels. This figure far exceeded previous estimates investigators alleged. This finding makes biological cycle of 24 hours due to the rotation of the earth more and more found in living things, including the living beings who do not live on land. *** [SCIENCEDAILY | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3646]
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