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    Circadian rhythm (with labels)
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    Circadian rhythm (with labels)

    2569

    The human body keeps time with a master clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN. Situated inside the brain, it's a tiny sliver of tissue about the size of a grain of rice, located behind the eyes. It sits quite close to the optic nerve, which controls vision, and this means that the SCN "clock" can keep track of day and night. The SCN helps control sleep and maintains our circadian rhythm--the regular, 24-hour (or so) cycle of ups and downs in our bodily processes such as hormone levels, blood pressure, and sleepiness. The SCN regulates our circadian rhythm by coordinating the actions of billions of miniature "clocks" throughout the body. These aren't actually clocks, but rather are ensembles of genes inside clusters of cells that switch on and off in a regular, 24-hour (or so) cycle in our physiological day.
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    SourceCrabtree + Company
    Date2008-10-17 00:00:00
    Credit LineNational Institute of General Medical Sciences
    Investigator
    Record TypeIllustration
    Topic Area(s);#Genes;#
    Previous UsesThe New Genetics page 56 Circadian Rhythms fact sheet
    StatusActive

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