Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm
Tuesday, August 28, 2012 - 14:00
in Biology & Nature
The rhythm of life is driven by the cycles of day and night, and most organisms carry in their cells a common, (roughly) 24-hour beat. In animals, this rhythm emerges from the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. Take it out of the brain and keep it alive in a lab dish and this "brain clock" will keep on ticking for days. A new study reveals that the brain clock itself is driven, in part, by metabolism.