Ed Yong just posted a fascinating piece describing the importance of our clocks, better yet, our circadian rhythms. In it he shares some research on transplanting arteries from a mouse with a deficient body clock into a normal animal with astounding results:

When he transplanted the arteries from a mouse with a deficient body clock into a normal animal, they developed arteriosclerosis, a disease where the blood vessels thicken and stiffen. Even though the conductor was giving the right rhythm, the musicians in the arterial section ignored his instructions and did their own thing, with disastrous results.

 

Cheng found that normal arteries show no sign of disease if they’re transplanted into normal mice. The arteries even behaved normally when Cheng put them inside mice with faults in two clock genes – Period and Bmal – which disrupt their circadian rhythms. The arteries might develop signs of disease after a longer time, but within the 4 weeks of the experiment, they seemed perfectly healthy.

Researchers at USC are helping our see how powerful circadian rhythms are the genetic level. Their studies have shown that of “the genes that showed rhythmic expression, between 80 and 90 percent were driven by the circadian cycle”.

For more information about circadian rhythms check out this thorough tutorial on the subject.

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