The Brain’s Master Clock

Daniel 2:21
“And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”

Our bodies have many different rhythms. For example, your body temperature and your blood pressure cycle throughout the 24-hour day. Other body rhythms complete their cycle in 7 days or 28 days and so on.

Some bodily rhythms are controlled through the hypothalamus, some by the pituitary gland, but there are other glands that control the rhythms of other organs. This arrangement sounds sort of like standing in a room with hundreds of clocks ticking away. And to make matters worse, each clock goes off on its own time – none are set to the same time. It could be a confusing mess.

But now it has been learned that the brain has one master clock that coordinates all the other clocks in the body. This master clock goes by the initials SCN. It was once thought that the hypothalamus did this work. But the hypothalamus is just an assistant to the SCN. Together they turn out a bewildering array of chemical signals for the rest of the body so that everything keeps humming along in fine order.

So here we have one more example of the intricate and wise design of our loving Creator and how He leaves no detail of life to chance. If He can do this, He certainly wants you to bring all the details of your life to Him as well.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, You teach me that my heavenly Father desires an even closer relationship with me, and that He is intimately involved in every detail of His creation. Teach me through Your Word, and help me to believe what You teach me. Amen.

Notes:
Science Digest, Nov. 1984, pp. 56-61. Photo: The influence of light and darkness on circadian rhythms and behavior through the SCN.