26.09 | 13:53
A team of scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester discovered people “seasonal calendar”, which allows the body to follow the seasons, and to adapt to them.
When working with the brain sheep in different seasons, scientists have identified a cluster of thousands of cells that may be in the summer or winter condition with increasing solar days, the cells are switched to summer mode and, if the reduction of the day – in the winter.
This mechanism controls the animals start breeding season or, conversely, hibernation. In humans, it may be responsible for activating the immune system.
«Calendar cells” in an amount of about 17 million, are located in the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland produces and released into the blood hormones that control various processes in the body.
According to the researchers, these cells may produce or “winter” or “summer” substances, and their proportion varies according to the season.
«It seems that in a short time, in the middle of winter or in the middle of the summer, all the cells are in one of these two states”, – explained professor at Manchester University, Andrew Loudon.
While it remains unclear how the body recognizes the fall and spring, when part of the “calendar” of cells is in the summer, and some – in winter mode.
«Seasonal clock” is also called tsirkannualnym rhythm that allows the body to stay awake during the day and sleep at night. It is also called the rhythm of day.
It has been established that the daily and annual rhythms depend on the amount of light. In winter, when daylight hours are shorter, the body produces more sleep hormone – melatonin.
Until that time, scientists were a mystery when and how this hormone.
Now, scientists have to understand as “calendar” cells were fixed with the changing seasons.
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