There are 30 trillion clocks in you, but are they all synced to the right time?

Forget your watch. No matter where you are or where you go, you always have around 30 trillion clocks with you, and mastering those clocks may as well mean mastering time, or ageing, to be precise.

In our very own bodies and cells, we have millions of tiny biological timekeepers. These timekeepers are genes inside our bodies being switched on and off. These genes control cell death, growth, and repair — essential bodily functions. In new and unique ways, these genes can be manipulated to improve growth, repair, and function throughout the body. 

So what are these clocks, and what is their purpose?

These clocks are the regulators of many natural internal body processes like temperature, digestion, and, of course, the classic sleep-wake cycles, that we all experience twice a day (depending on the day in our ‘student world’). These types of biological functions follow an internal 24-hour cycle, and they all collectively fall under the umbrella term of Circadian rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are highly complex, even if they might appear relatively simple: “I am tired, I need to sleep.” Every Circadian rhythm is governed by multi-level biological processes, and that explains why, when things go wrong with your Circadian rhythms, they go wrong in a BIG way.

Take a step back and imagine a huge house with many rooms, each room full of trillions of clocks. In the centre of the house is one large grandfather clock, the ‘Master Clock.’ This clock effectively governs all timings of the rooms around the house. Within each room, there are some idiosyncrasies in timing, something unique that only applies to the time in that room, but overall, pretty much all the rooms keep time with the Master Clock. This is the same for our bodies. The master clock is found in the brain, where it coordinates the timing of your organs (the rooms). In turn, each organ has its own internal timing system, all still governed by the master clock.

So, what regulates these clocks?  Light, social activity, or even the times that we eat affect our Circadian rhythms, which in turn interact with many systems in our bodies, such as the endocrine system, the immune system, and even our mental health.

Circadian systems out of kilter can lead to funny consequences. From social jet (a change in your sleeping pattern), leading to jet-lag symptoms on a Monday without even having left your sofa, all the way to midnight hunger. There is, however, a much darker side to messing with your Circadian rhythm. Chronic Circadian disruption can lead to Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and increased cancer risk.  

Circadian Rhythms act as a biological schedule. Deep inside your cells, special ‘clock genes’ regulate what happens in a repetitive cycle to keep time. There are four main genes at play, two that get the system firing up and moving, and two that act like brakes to slow down the cycle. CLOCK and BMAL1 are the accelerators, PER and CRY are the brakes.

CLOCK and BMAL1 can be thought of as the on switch. These genes pair up and bind to DNA at set points, turning on transcription. PER and CRY proteins thus build up, move into the nucleus and inhibit CLOCK and BMAL1 activity, turning off further PER and CRY production.  Over time, the PER and CRY proteins break down, allowing the cycle to recommence. 

More importantly, however, for the interest of future science is that these ‘clock genes’ can be manipulated, allowing for unique research opportunities. 

As we age, BMAL1 declines; this links to a reduction in a critical antioxidant pathway, which leads to more cell damage and faster ageing. Research shows that restoring BMAL1 kick-starts the antioxidant pathway and slows ageing.

In the skin specifically, researchers have found that heightened expression of these ‘clock genes’ helps with wound healing, inflammatory responses, and even degrees of UV protection. All of the above cooperate to help improve and maintain skin quality and health.  

So the next time you feel lethargic and spaced out after a late-night Netflix binge, just remember that your 30 trillion internal clocks are fighting to keep you in sync; treat them well and, with a bit of luck, they might just return the favour.

Illustration by Isabella Abbott