Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle

sleep

Leave a comment

Physiology on the Road: Mophys 2024!

The Missouri Physiological Society (mophys) is holding their annual chapter meeting tomorrow at the University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC) campus! Here are just some of the highlights showcasing ways in which physiologists in Missouri are advancing science and medicine: Felix Yang (Graduate student at the University of Missouri, Kansas City; Mentor: Dr. Xiang-Ping Chu) will present research on certain ion channels in the brain that are associated with detecting […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Time Machine: Multitasking Melatonin

Back in 2012, the American Physiological Society put together an amazing list of the top ten articles cited in each of their journals every quarter of a century in honor of their 125th anniversary. In looking through the website this week, I stumbled upon this collection and was reminded about the amazing early foundational work and excellence in physiology research found within this body of work. So, I’d like to […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Sleep prolongs lifespan

If only all mammals could hibernate. Studies have shown that some species of hibernating animals live longer and age more slowly than animals that do not hibernate. In fact, a recent study has shown that hibernation slows biological aging in yellow-bellied marmots. During hibernation, an animal’s metabolism slows to conserve energy. In the case of the yellow-bellied marmots, metabolism drops to only 1% of non-hibernating levels. The researchers observed that […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Hydrogen sulfide – the gas we hate to smell, but can’t live without

Although hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is most often associated with manure and the smells of rotten eggs, research has shown it plays important physiological roles. In fact, our bodies actually produce H2S within our cells. Other source of H2S include sulfate-producing bacteria in our gut and dietary intake (such as garlic and cruciferous vegetables). H2S is a member of a group of gasotransmitters, referred to as the ‘reactive species interactome’, that […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Hummingbirds can choose how deep to sleep

Could you imagine drinking a can of soda every minute just to support your high metabolism? Amazingly, that is the equivalent to how much sugar a hummingbird needs to support their rapid wingbeats during flight. In fact, hummingbird flight muscles are the fastest on record, allowing the birds to flap their wings at a rate of up to 200 beats per second! That explains why they are always at my […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Hibernation slows down aging

I don’t know about you, but when I see an article claiming to be able to explain “The Biology of Beauty Sleep”, I simply have to read it. Clicking on the title brought me to a news article from the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution that featured a recent study examining the idea of how sleep impacts aging. The burning question of course is whether or not there is any […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Snoring seals can teach us so much about sleep apnea

When I think of sleep apnea, the first thing that comes to mind is snoring. People, and animals, that have sleep apnea periodically stop breathing when they are sleeping and wake up when their brain senses the drop in oxygen. Understandably, people with sleep apnea often feel tired and have difficulty concentrating. Just imagine having your sleep interrupted night after night. Because of the changes in blood oxygen, people with […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Tenrecs may shed light on the evolution of body temperature regulation

The common tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus) just may be a living representative of ancestral placental mammals and they are very interesting when it comes to body temperature regulation and torpor. Torpor is a complex series of physiological changes that reduce an animal’s physical activity as well as heart, breathing and metabolic rates, which also results in decreases in body temperature than can be as low as their surrounding environment. Many mammalian […]

Continue Reading →

1 Comment

Experimental Biology 2021: Q&A with Molly Simonis

We are delighted to speak with Molly Simonis who is currently a PhD Candidate working with Dr. Lynn Hartzler at Wright State University. Molly is a member of the Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology section of the American Physiological Society and she presented her research “Captive Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) Display Hypothermia and Hypometabolism” at the 2021 Experimental Biology conference last month. Q: What made you interested in studying big brown […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Even the brainless need sleep

Most animals that we know of sleep. Sleep is very important for a healthy brain and our brains are important in regulating sleep. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that the cerebrospinal fluid actually washes out toxins from the brain when we get enough sleep at night. That “rinse cycle” so to speak is the brain’s way of staying healthy and is thought to prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. You may […]

Continue Reading →