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Breaking the biological clock: What kind of impact will damage SCN cause?
In the hypothalamus of the brain, there is a tiny area called the hyperthalamic optic cross nucleus (SCN), which plays a crucial role in regulating the sleep cycle of animals.SCN coordinates the biological clock throughout the body by receiving light messages from photosensitive retinal ganglion cells and aligns with changes in the external environment.Neurons in this area and the hormone activity they produce can regulate a variety of physiological functions and form a cycle of about 24 hours.However, what impact will it have if SCN is damaged?
Many studies have pointed out that the destruction of SCN can lead to the emergence of various sleep and mood disorders, which shows the importance of SCN in regulating biological clocks.
Structure and Function of SCN
The superior thalamic optic cross nucleus is mainly located in the anterior part of the hypothalamus, just above the optic cross, and consists of about 10,000 neurons.SCN can be divided into two parts: ventral and dorsolateral, called core and shell respectively.They differ in the expression of clock genes, the core is expressed when stimulated, while the shell is continuously actively expressed.In addition, SCN has multiple neural pathways connected to other surrounding brain regions, indicating its multiple roles in regulating the physiological cycle.
The effects of physiology and behavior
Whether bacteria, plants or animals, they have a gene-based nearly 24-hour rhythm.This shows that organisms show certain daily life cycle behaviors, including sleep, exercise, alertness, hormone levels, etc.Early studies on SCN showed that if SCN was transplanted from a normal hamster to a SCN-damaged hamster, the latter would adopt the former behavior pattern, proving that SCN was very necessary for the generation of biological rhythms.
The experimental results emphasize that the biological clock of an animal is not only controlled by the SCN, but also depends on the bright information obtained by visually.
SCN injury and health problems
SCN injury is closely related to a variety of mental health problems.Studies have shown that severe depression is closely related to biological clock disorders.When the normal operation of SCN is affected, the patient may be troubled by symptoms such as anxiety, helplessness and despair.In addition, dysregulated biological clocks are also considered an important factor in the onset of Alzheimer's disease.Patients usually face sleep problems such as insomnia or lethargy, which are all associated with SCN degeneration.
Implications of clinical research
In clinical studies, irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWR) is believed to be caused by structural damage to SCN and reduced response to light.This has led to a reduction in the secretion of melatonin at night for many people who stay indoors for a long time, which leads to abnormal sleep patterns.It can be seen that the connection between living environment and health is inseparable.
Future exploration direction
The understanding of biological clock mechanism is still in constant exploration, especially how to improve the health impact of SCN damage.Future research may focus on creating methods to restore or compensate SCN's function, or exploring how different environmental factors affect the operation of biological clocks.
With the advancement of science, we may be able to understand more deeply the role of SCN and why health or not has such a profound impact on our quality of life.How does your biological clock work?
