Russell Foster: The Rhythm of Life
Tweets from Professor Russell Foster's Annual Public Lecture for The Physiological Society entitled "The Rhythm of Life: how your body clock makes you tick"
- The beautiful Sheldonian Theatre is packed for our lecture. Russell Foster sure is popular! twitpic.com/5p4whg #physiology2011
About to live-tweet an hour-long lecture with suspected Lyme disease (major symptom is joint pain). Wish my fingers luck. #physiology2011
Our Education & Outreach Committee chair, Louise Robson, is introducing the lecture and Russell. #physiology2011- LR states the importance of learned societies like @ThePhySoc to interact with the public and schools. #physiology2011
- RF echoes this sentiment - we must communicate with the taxpayers who essentially pay the wages of scientists like him. #physiology2011
- RF: 24-hour body clocks have captured the popular imagination. Shows Times Higher article on teenagers' body clocks. #physiology2011
- RF shoews article in Mirror: time to set your body clock. But sometimes this coverage is not very helpful... #physiology2011
- Mirror article suggested having a bikini wax at 10am as pain sensitivity is at its lowest then. RF never suggested this! #physiology2011
- Melatonin, body temperature, cognitive performance, attention and ability to digest fat all linked to body clock. #physiology2011
- Body temperature can have an impact on sporting performace: athletes must take this into account. Body temp drops at night. #physiology2011
- Cognitive performance declines at night: ability to drive car between 4-6am is impaired to same level as being legally drunk #physiology2011
@ThePhySoc @DrBillyo #physiology2011 there's an afternoon dip too 2-3pm though not so bad at 4-6am. Worse for older people.- Genome analysis allows us to understand this molecular clock. The per genes are responsible in Drosophila, mice and humans. #physiology2011
- SEN neurons are key to circadian system. A single cell can generate a circadian rhythm. So must be a molecular process. #physiology2011
- Please note the person tweeting this (@lulucrumble) is not a sleep expert & has been getting terminology wrong. SCN not SEN! #physiology2011
- We used to think 50,000 SEN nuerones drive master body clock. Now we know every cell in body has its own molecular clock. #physiology2011
- SENs are merely the conductors. Cells in the body take their reference cue from SENS, & align themselves to their rhythm. #physiology2011
- But this alignment can be disrupted in e.g. jet lag. And eye loss blocks the effect of light on the body clock. #physiology2011
- Question from the audience about babies: when does their body clock kick in? RF: very variable. #physiology2011
- A mouse can be visually bind but not circadian blind - how come? Is there a special photoreceptor in the eye? #physiology2011
- Apparently the response to this theory when it was first proposed was "b***s**t". #physiology2011
- Research into the rd/rd cl mouse allowed us to conclude that a third ocular photoreceptor must exist within the eye. #physiology2011
- Light-sensitive molecule melanopsin has peak sensitivity in blue part of spectrum - the peak spectral sensitivity in the sky #physiology2011
- Not only a circardian photoreceptor. Also allows pupil to maintain constriction in bright light. #physiology2011
