Tag: Erik Herzog

WashU Expert: The disruptions of daylight saving time

A one-hour adjustment to the clock on the wall may not sound dramatic. But our biological clock begs to differ. On Sunday, March 9, at 2 a.m. local time, the U.S. “springs forward,” moving the clocks ahead one hour as we enter daylight saving time. Most of us need a few days to adjust to […]

Engineering better sleep

Clock on a wood surface with sunrise behind green-leaf woody space.

Complex biological networks control a range of functions in the human body from metabolic processes to the sleep cycle. Though scientists have ever-increasing volumes of data about the effects these complex systems produce, fully describing them mathematically has proven difficult. Without a firm understanding, effective interventions continue to be elusive, leaving more than 50 million […]

Brain tumors hijack circadian clock to grow

Composite sketch photo concept abstract collage of arm hold magnifier glass study secrets of brain isolated creative drawing background

Virtually every cell in the human body has an internal clock. These clocks take their cues from a central clock in the brain. In a normal, biological process called synchrony, the central clock coordinates daily rhythms around the body, so that every cell and tissue recognizes the same external time of day. Knowing local time […]

Daily rhythms depend on receptor density in biological clock

mans and other animals, signals from a central circadian clock in the brain generate the seasonal and daily rhythms of life. They help the body to prepare for expected changes in the environment and also optimize when to sleep, eat and do other daily activities. Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are working out […]