Jet lag

The body’s 24-hour clock controls a multitude of internal functions such as periods of sleep and wakefullness، body temperature، and metabolism. Although circadian function produces a stable rhythm in the body، the biological clock will reset in response to light. The human condition known as Jet lag takes place during the period when the body attempts to resynchronize to the environmental light changes brought on by travel، namely from one time zone to another. Rapid travel across more than 2 time zones causes Jetlag disorders. The signs and symptoms of Jet lag include fatigue and weekness، headache، insomnia and day time sleepiness and gastro intestinal disorders، which disappear after a few days، but physiologic processes may take up to 14 days to completely adjust to the new zone. A mutant fruitfly that possesses Jetlag-like behaviors enabled Sehgal، Phd professor of Nevroscience at Penn، and colleagues to identify the gene and subsequent protein that aids in the response of the internal biobgical clock to light. Future studies in the Sehgal lab will focus on continuing to identify other molecules required for light response in files which may be conserved in humans. Clock responds to light and it may be able to be designed to treat jet lag.