The counter is using the luciferase gene from a firefly. And not surprisingly, our internal clocks, set to a 24-hour or circadian schedule, tend to match these natural cycles. But today, the 24-hour workplace, frequent flights across time zones, and our inability to sleep on cue are forcing researchers to take a closer look at our biological clocks.
Biological clocks exist inside most of the world's organisms.
The clock tells bears to hibernate, honeybees to deposit their nectar, and molds to discharge their spores. It governs our metabolism, digestion, and the sleep-wake cycle, and is resistant to abrupt changes in routine. Our clocks also regulate some lesser known daily cycles by which our sensitivity to drugs, our temperatures, our tolerance to pain, and our various hormone levels rise and fall with predictable regularity. Yet, despite their significance, biological clocks of humans and other organisms are only beginning to be understood. Gaining control of this clock, researchers claim, could produce many benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving drug metabolism, overcoming jet lag, and helping shift workers function efficiently.