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Circadian Rhythms, Illustrated

A graphic from the Scientific American archive provides a look into the brain’s molecular clock—research that contributed to this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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This morning Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael Young were awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on circadian rhythms. How do these 24-hour internal clocks work? Here’s a peek at what’s going on in the brain at the molecular level, as drawn by Cynthia Turner for the article “The Tick-Tock of the Biological Clock,” by Michael Young (Scientific American, March 2000). Check out the full article for more graphics.

CREDIT: Cynthia Turner

Jen Christiansen is author of the book Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations (CRC Press) and senior graphics editor at Scientific American, where she art directs and produces illustrated explanatory diagrams and data visualizations. In 1996 she began her publishing career in New York City at Scientific American. Subsequently she moved to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of National Geographic (first as an assistant art director–researcher hybrid and then as a designer), spent four years as a freelance science communicator and returned to Scientific American in 2007. Christiansen presents and writes on topics ranging from reconciling her love for art and science to her quest to learn more about the pulsar chart on the cover of Joy Division's album Unknown Pleasures. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in geology and studio art from Smith College. Follow Christiansen on X (formerly Twitter) @ChristiansenJen

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