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 ...

Shining new light on the pineal gland

When zebrafish lack a specific protein, the two hemispheres of the brain develop symmetrically, and the sleep hormone melatonin is not produced. These results were recently published by Freiburg biologists Theresa Schredelseker ...

Scientists discover how animals measure time of year to reproduce

Animals need to measure the time of year so that they can anticipate and adapt to the arrival of a new season to align reproduction, as well as other vital functions critical for survival. A new study, conducted at the University ...