HEALTH -'Alarm Clock' Gene Explains Wake-Up Function of Biological Clock

the gene KDM5A encodes a protein, JARID1a, that serves as an activation switch to maintain our circadian rhythm.
"The body is essentially a collection of clocks,"
Fruit flies with low levels of PER protein lost track of time
shift workers, such as nurses and emergency personnel, who work long shifts that break them out of the normal 24-hour cycle of waking and sleeping, are at much higher risk for certain diseases
The biological clock has a daily influence over metabolic cycles, daily cell cycles are fundamental to normal operation of genetic mechanisms that control how cells grow and divide, both in normal development and in cancer
the conversion of sugars into fat, which normally occurs only at certain times of day, often seems to take place all day long in diabetics' bodies, suggesting the clock has lost control
"The body is essentially a collection of clocks,"
to be healthy and youthful comes down to a good night's sleep
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929161343.htm