madanthonywayne
04-26-07, 11:16 PM
Interesting article which purports to explain why some people (including me, and most of my relatives) are night owls.
A genetic mutation called the "after-hours gene" may explain why some people are night owls, it is revealed in Science journal today.
The altered gene, named "after hours" or Afh, is a variant of a gene called Fbxl3, which had not been linked to the body clock that keeps our metabolism, digestion and sleep patterns in tune with the rising and setting of the sun.
By monitoring laboratory mice, scientists noticed that instead of following the typical 24-hour pattern some animals had body clocks that stretched to a 27-hour day.
It was then discovered that their DNA had the after-hours version of the Fbxl3 gene, one of a large family that controls the breakdown of specific proteins within body cells.The explaination makes perfect sense to me. I've always felt like days were too short. I'm never ready to go to sleep at a reasonable time. I end up staying up late and not getting enough sleep for a few days until I'm tired enough to get to sleep early. Then the cycle starts again.
A genetic mutation called the "after-hours gene" may explain why some people are night owls, it is revealed in Science journal today.
The altered gene, named "after hours" or Afh, is a variant of a gene called Fbxl3, which had not been linked to the body clock that keeps our metabolism, digestion and sleep patterns in tune with the rising and setting of the sun.
By monitoring laboratory mice, scientists noticed that instead of following the typical 24-hour pattern some animals had body clocks that stretched to a 27-hour day.
It was then discovered that their DNA had the after-hours version of the Fbxl3 gene, one of a large family that controls the breakdown of specific proteins within body cells.The explaination makes perfect sense to me. I've always felt like days were too short. I'm never ready to go to sleep at a reasonable time. I end up staying up late and not getting enough sleep for a few days until I'm tired enough to get to sleep early. Then the cycle starts again.