According to a study published in the journal Current Biology that analyzed changes in fruit fly neuronal endings, Night sleep is essential for cell renewal.
Fernanda CerianiHead of the Behavioral Genetics Laboratory of the Leloir Institute and one of the Argentine research participants, visited us LN+ to further explain the significance of this advancement.
“We have been working on this tiny fly for many years. This allowed us to understand that neurons change shape over the years“Furthermore, the behavior of fruit flies is very similar to that of humans: they are diurnal, just like us,” he noted.
In the biologist’s words: “With the high-resolution technology we used in research, we were able to see that.” These neurons are important for controlling sleep and wake cycles.“.
Regarding the importance of night sleep for cell renewal, Ceriani explained: “Research has made this clear to us Neurons are very active in the morning and less active at night“.
“When resting, neurons’ mitochondria stretch, allowing their membranes to repair.. That is, to renew its properties in order to generate energy again the next day,” explained the researcher, clarifying that “afternoon rest is not the same as night rest.”
Asked about the impact of structural changes on the rest of usemphasized Ceriani: “Changes enable flexibility. And be flexible, adapt. Throughout the year we experience days when the amount and quality of light varies greatly. For this reason, These structural changes need to be focused in order for our neural network to function better“.
Another of the questions raised in LN+ was the one referred to the hours of rest that the average person needs. However, the head of the behavioral genetics laboratory at the Leloir Institute clarified: “We could not determine the exact time period because we work with Drosophila (scientific name for fruit flies). and we can’t say stay here or stay there“.
At the end of his conversation, Ceriani referred to a sociological illness that affects a large part of the Argentine population. “We are a very night owl society“We have a lot of social activities at night and that affects rest,” he said.
Regarding the influence of lighting in our bedrooms, Ceriani concluded: “Turning off the lights is not enough to trick our brains. Because it is an organ that uses cells through our eyes that are specialized to recognize the time of day in which we are. Even under conditions without environmental influences, our brain would know what time it is“.
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