To appreciate the neural underpinnings of sleep, it is important to view this universal
mammalian behaviour at multiple levels of its biological organization. Molecularly, the …

The pronounced daily variation in the release of adrenal hormones has been at the heart of
the deciphering and understanding of the circadian timing system. Indeed, the first …

Obesity has become a serious public health problem and a major risk factor for the
development of illnesses, such as insulin resistance and hypertension. Human homeostatic …

The circadian clock is a widespread cellular mechanism that underlies diverse rhythmic
functions in organisms from bacteria and fungi, to plants and animals. Intense genetic …

▪ Abstract During the past decade, the molecular mechanisms underlying the mammalian
circadian clock have been defined. A core set of circadian clock genes common to most cells …

The role of mPer1 and mPer2 in regulating circadian rhythms was assessed by disrupting
these genes. Mice homozygous for the targeted allele of either mPer1 or mPer2 had …

The importance of time is ever prevalent in our world, and disruptions to the normal
light/dark and sleep/wake cycle have now become the norm rather than the exception for a …

Melatonin, the major hormone produced by the pineal gland, displays characteristic daily
and seasonal patterns of secretion. These robust and predictable rhythms in circulating …

The human pineal gland is a neuroendocrine transducer that forms an integral part of the
brain. Through the nocturnally elevated synthesis and release of the neurohormone …

The expression of 'clock'genes occurs in all tissues, but especially in the suprachiasmatic
nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus, groups of neurons in the brain that regulate circadian …