What is a biological clock?
Biological clocks are the integral part of our consciousness and behaviour. They are associated with Circardian Rythm and its regulation.Well, circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a roughly 24- hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.Some information about biological clocks :They are incredibly complex and intricate.Universal in nature (can be found in any organism just like genetic code).The clock keeps ticking throughout the day whether you're sleeping or playing .The clock influence - Alertness, Hunger, Fertility, Mood swings and many other physiological conditions.Medicines are prescribed in accordance with the biological clock.Disturbance in biological clock may lead to :InsomniaObesityDiabetesDepressionBi-polarand many other pathological conditions.Who controls the Biological Clocks ?The answer would be The Master Clock made of Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN). It is made of 20000 nerve cells and located in hypothalamus. Hypothalamus is thus regarded as Supreme Commander of the Human body.Biological clock in Sleep and Wake phase :Biological clock triggers the production of hormone Melatonin in darkness which induces sleep and the levels of melatonin decreases in presence of light. So, this tide and ebb in melatonin level regulated by biological clock.**2017 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology was given to three scientist Jeffery Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young for their groundbreaking success in research of biological clocks in human body which opened several new research fields in Chronobiology.
Is there more than one kind of biological clock?
Absolutely, The one most people refer to is the one about reproduction and normally for females. The curious thing about the parlance that is used is that the reference is always toward time counting down on a woman's ability to successfully bear a child which declines somewhat as they age. In that reference I would think a reference to timers would be more appropriate but i digress.As to the topic of Biological clocks I interpret that to mean, biological systems that regulate the timing of different events in the life cycle of an organism. In that frame of reference, then there are many, the most well know of these is commonly called the circadian rhythm this is the natural cycle of awake and sleep that animals fall into outside of external influences(such as clocks or it getting dark outside.) This “biological Clock” that almost all complex organisms on our planet share cycles about once every 24 hours or so(i wonder if there is any relationship the the fact that the planet rotates once every 24 hours, hmmmmm)Other cycles include female menstruation, Hibernation and bird migration. All use different Cues and are influenced in different ways by the envirnment but all can be used to mark a somewhat predictable block of time that is driven by biological processes. At its most simple that is what a clock is, a device that allows one to demarcate the passage of time in a clearly defined way.
What's the best way to reset your biological clock to sleep normally?
To reset your biological clock (cicardian rythm) just go sleepless for minimum 18hrs and then sleep at 11 pm. You will surely wake up at something around 7–8 am the next morning. This is the only way to reset your sleep cycle. It might be a bit difficult to go sleepless for 18 hrs straight but just try. There’s another way to reset your cicardian rythm but its better not to say it here cause it involves medications ( drugs like amphetamine and caffeine) which make one hyperactive for quite some time and prevents sleep during the day and is quite usefull for going sleepless for the 18 hr stretch but they do have serious side effects too. So, please DO NOT TRY the second way. Try doing something productive during the 18 hrs awake stretch.
Biology 11 Questions HELP- Amino Acid Sequences?
Is there a relationship between DNA sequences and other similarities or differences between vertebrates? (1 Mark) Yes. Before DNA technologies were used, scientists have classified (grouped together) vertebrates. They would e.g. notice that a monkey is more similar to a human, and that rats and mice shared some similarities. This is called taxonomy (classification based on visible characteristics). Once DNA technology entered the field of biology, it was found that the DNA relationships between animals (phylogeny) were very similar to the taxonomic trees. Why can it be said that proteins represent biological clocks? (2 marks) According to the evolution theory, DNA and therefore also proteins (because they are encoded by the DNA genes) constantly changes. The best fitted organisms will survive. Because of this constant changing, and assuming that these changes are random, but regular, one can compare protein sequences (encoding the same protein but from different organisms) and use the amount of identity (or differences) to say something about how long ago in evolution they were separated. If they are very similar, they are probably from two very related organisms. If they are very different, it is likely that these organisms separated a long time ago. So, in other words, you can say that a protein is a molecular clock. During time, it constantly changes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_c... There is a difference of only one amino acid in one portion of hemoglobin of gorillas and humans. What could have been responsible for this change? (1 mark) A random change in the DNA gene encoding this protein, that resulted in an amino acid change that did NOT have any influence on the function of this protein. If the amino acid sequences are similar in gorilla and humans, why would you expect the DNA of these two organisms to also be similar? (1 mark) You would expect them to be similar because there is only a limited amount of DNA codons that can code for an amino acid. However, you would expect them to be a little bit less similar, percentage wise, because different codons can code for the same amino acid. Not every DNA change will result in an amino acid change.
What is genetic clock?
The molecular clock (based on the molecular clock hypothesis (MCH)) is a technique in molecular evolution to relate the divergence time of two species diverged to the number of molecular differences measured between the species' DNA sequences or proteins. It is sometimes called a gene clock or evolutionary clock. the use of molecular genetics information to determine the correct scientific classification of organisms or to study variation in selective forces. Knowledge of approximately-constant rate of molecular evolution in particular sets of lineages also facilitates establishing the dates of phylogenetic events, including those not documented by fossils, such as the divergence of living taxa and the formation of the phylogenetic tree. But in these cases - especially over long stretches of time - the limitations of MCH (above) must be considered ; such estimates may be off by 50% or more.
Why do I always see the number 36 on the clock?
Three of things going on here and all perfecty logical, First one is that we all have an incredibly accurate internal clock. Some people use it to awake in the morning without an alarm clock, I have experienced regularly waking suddenly and completely just seconds before the alarm goes off. Most of us don't trust and use it but many people have learned to. Second is our ability to program ourselves just as you have done to make yourself look at the clock at a specific time. We may not even know we did it or why but I once read a book with 3.15am as a significant time mentioned several times. For a week afterwards I awoke with 3.15am on my digital alarm by the bed. Lastly is a mechanism we have that selects whats important and lets through only significant details from our eyes and ears etc. You will be looking at the clock many times throughout the hour but a part of your brain decides those other numbers are not significant and drops the issue without you being conscious of the thought. We could never cope with all the input coming at us from the world and even the internal workings of our body so this mechanism helps keep us sane and to concentrate on only the important issues. We can learn to use all these things in our daily life, or simply to have fun. Sit down quietly and tell yourself that you want to see red cars with a M and a 4 in the number plate and see what happens. You will be amazed how many your brain lets through once it understands that is a significant issue for you just as the 36 minute figure is.
I need a brief clear explanation of what we call "body clock"?
The internal mechanisms that schedule bodily functions and activities. Or the smart(er)-@rse answer: A physiological mechanism that is thought to regulate physical and mental functions in chronological rhythm.