So part of the problem with the pursuit of acme, is you get used to 'talking science' to people who are very focused on the 'how.' The other problem with the pursuit of acme is you (or at least I), need to take a minute to remember how to describe the 'what'- Since that's what it's all about. In this particle case the what is your circadian clock.
Human, or highly trained fruit fly, if you are reading this, I guarantee you have a (more or less) functioning internal circadian clock. This circadian clock is how you coordinate your body with the twenty four hour day. In fact just about every cell in your body has an automatous circadian clock. However, without the brain doing what bosses do and slowing some clocks, while lighting a fire under the metaphorical asses of others, we would be very fast aging, low efficiency, and exhausted fruit flies. Or who knows what we would be actually- considering how early the circadian clock developed. Although plants typically have a different twist on it, their core circadian clock seems to look pretty much like ours.
With science we seem to learn about, in this case literally, the working clock by studying various kinds of broken ones. From many such studies, and personal experiences of how we look and feel after a night of poor sleep, the circadian clock is just beginning to be understood. The broken circadian clock has been connecting with increased rate of aging, a plethora of cancers, diabetes, personality disorders, and increased workers comp needs.
Getting technical, you have a lot of protein in your body. And that protein does a lot of different, important stuff. Although most of the protein does not stick around very long. The core proteins of the circadian clock is made up of basically four different proteins: Two passive feedback loop proteins, and two negative feedback loop proteins. One of these negative feed back loop proteins is (surprise surprise), named PERIOD. As a fruit fly you have one kinda period protein, named PERIOD. Go figure. As a human you have three kinds of these proteins, named PER1, PER2, and PER3. Although these proteins have exceptionally similar builds, they are not redundant. Part of what is fascinating about the build of these proteins is the extend duration that they seem to take to complete a task, consequently establishing your twenty four hour clock.
Which brings me to my actual point. As it turns out the build of PERIOD ( and PER1 PER2 and PER3) are also very similar to the build of a developmental timing protein LIN42 from a nematode kind of worm. Which begs the question, what is it about the build of PERIOD, or otherwise LIN42, that suits it so well as a time keeper?
