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Question:
How does a person's biological clock work?


Replies:
I believe there's a region or gland in the brain that regulates biological clocks. This region or gland senses the environment's day/night cycle. I'm afraid I don't know much more than that. Hope this helps.

--- jade

No one knows for sure how any circadian (nearly 24 hour-in Latin) clock works. Some interesting facts, though. The pineal gland in the brain is important. Although shifting the day-night cycle can shift the clock, the clock runs on its own without any dark-light cues. So it seems to be a natural chemical clock with a cycle nearly, but not exactly at 24 hours, which is entrained by the 24 hour day-night cycle. There are neurons in lower animals which can be kept alive alone, isolate from the nervous system and from any light-dark cues, that show electrical activity on a near-24-hours cycle.

-ProfBill


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