Scientist have explored the origins of a specific hormone that causes us to go to sleep. This hormone is called Melatonin. Melatonin is released to our system when our eyes sees the darkness in the night. When melatonin is released it attaches itself onto our neurons altering their electrical rhythm. This is when we get into our slumber mode. Then the next morning when you wake up, the sun makes the Melatonin shake off the neurons and we're free to start our day. When they began to study the origins of Melatonin, scientist noticed a striking similarity between humans and worms. These similarities include that worms produce melatonin in the night like we do and they can also get jet lagged like us too. When these similarities were discovered more research found that melatonin could've evolved as much as 700 million years ago.
To Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/science/the-evolution-of-sleep-700-million-years-of-melatonin.html?src=me
Interesting - what can this discovery do for us in the future? Perhaps improved sleeping pills, specifically targeting melatonin production?
ReplyDeleteAlso, how exactly does the sun "make" the melatonin atoms lose neurons? Via solar energy or heat of some sort?
This is very interesting. In what ways does melatonin affect the electrical rythm of neurons? Why does this change prompt us to go to sleep?
ReplyDeleteAre there any side affects to the hormone?
ReplyDeleteHi Esteban! Thank you for sharing. I noticed you said that the research linked the evolution of melatonin synthesis to around 700 million years ago. Why do you think organisms were evolved or "naturally selected" to produce this sleeping hormone? What do you think this suggests about life on Earth 700 million years ago?
ReplyDeleteWow this is very interesting because not long ago we were learning about sleep in my Psychology class. Do most animals have melatonin? Or do only a select few have it. Also does this effect how those who work during the night and sleep during the day because it is light outside when they need to sleep?
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