Tech Shout!

According to a research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University(OHSU), the body has more than one “body clock” .This opposes the popular belief that the body has just one master clock that controls sleep-wake cycles and resides in a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus(SCN). In fact, most of us have witnessed the impacts of this clock in the form of jet lag where it takes the body a number of days to adjust to a new time schedule following a long flight.

The researchers at OHSU’s Natural Primate Research Center have now revealed the existence of a secondary clock-like mechanism residing in the adrenal gland and suggest a high likelihood that additional clocks exist in the body. “Our latest research suggests that a separate but similar related clock resides in the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland is involved in several important body functions, such as body temperature regulation, metabolism, mood, stress response and reproduction. The research also suggests that other peripheral clocks reside throughout the body and that these clocks are perhaps interconnected.” explained Henryk Urbanski, Ph.D., senior author of the study and a senior scientist at ONPRC.

While conducting the research, scientists studied the function of the adrenal gland in rhesus macaque monkeys which is quite similar to human adrenal gland function. This research provides important new information regarding the complex, rhythmic, 24-hour functions of the body. The research also makes a deep impact on current therapies for treating variety of diseases. For instance, data gathered in this study and future studies may suggest that certain therapies be delivered at certain times in order to synchronize with normal body functions which are controlled by our body clocks.