Plants do sums to get through the night, researchers show

(Phys.org) —New research shows that to prevent starvation at night, plants perform accurate arithmetic division. The calculation allows them to use up their starch reserves at a constant rate so that they run out almost ...

Researchers identify structure of circadian clock protein

(PhysOrg.com) -- Feeling jet-lagged? You may need your internal clock reset. New Cornell research has taken a major step toward treating jet lag and other more serious syndromes by advancing our understanding of how circadian ...

Keeping time: Circadian clocks

Our planet was revolving on its axis, turning night into day every 24 hours, for 4.5 billion years - long before any form of life existed here. About a billion years later, the very first simple bacterial cells came into ...

Plants use circadian rhythms to prepare for battle with insects

In a study of the molecular underpinnings of plants' pest resistance, Rice University biologists have shown that plants both anticipate daytime raids by hungry insects and make sophisticated preparations to fend them off.

To Arctic animals, time of day really doesn't matter

In the far northern reaches of the Arctic, day versus night often doesn't mean a whole lot. During parts of the year, the sun does not set; at other times, it's just the opposite. A new study reported online on March 11th ...

Scientists show that plants have measure of the shortest day

(PhysOrg.com) -- It is not only people who feel the effects of short winter days - new research by the University of Edinburgh and the University of Warwick has shed light on how plants calculate their own winter solstice.

Our circadian clock sets the rhythm for our cells' powerhouses

Countless genetically controlled clocks keep time in different body parts, such as the liver, kidneys and heart. Among other things, they initiate metabolic processes, ensuring that these occur at the optimal time of day. ...

Newly discovered molecule essential to resetting 'body clocks'

(PhysOrg.com) -- Research has shown that light is the key to getting our 'body clocks' back in sync and now a new study exploring the resynchronisation mechanism in insects has discovered a molecule essential to the process.

Vibrations influence the circadian clock of a fruit fly

The internal circadian clock of a Drosophila (fruit fly) can be synchronised using vibrations, according to research published today in the journal Science. The results suggest that an animal's own movements can influence ...

page 1 from 3