The Clock in the Brain Is Not the Only One

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Most of our cells contain a group of genes that might be thought of as gears in a mechanical watch, keeping time everywhere internally. Circadian rhythms are relevant to more than sleep but few realized how relevant until 2014. As the clock genes cycle through their functions, their work is activating or deactivating thousands of other non-clock genes in consistent daily patterns. Staying up hours later on the weekend than you do during the week has been dubbed social jet lag.

The concept of having a “body clock” is a familiar one, but less widespread is the awareness that our body contains several biological clocks. Understanding their whims and functions may help us optimize our lives and lead to better overall health, according to scientists.

Every physiological system is represented by a clock, from the liver to the lungs, and each one is synced “to the central clock in the brain like an orchestra section following its conductor,” writes Kim Tingley, a New York Times journalist who explored the effect this knowledge has on how conditions are treated, and spoke to scientists about how misalignment or deregulation of these clocks can have a profound effect on our health.

Exploring the components that dictate our lives, and how they work together like the “gears in a mechanical watch,” Ms. Tingley builds a case for the importance of paying attention to all our circadian rhythms — and not just when it comes to monitoring our sleep.

This story was written by Kim Tingley and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.