Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
2 hours100% online
How it works
Circadian Clocks: Mastering Your Body’s Natural Rhythm
Discover how biological rhythms shape your health and well-being
Your body operates on a natural 24-hour cycle that regulates everything from sleep patterns to energy levels, but common disruptors like jet lag, shift work, and irregular schedules can easily throw it off balance.
Explore the biological mechanisms behind this vital system on this flexible, online course from Taipei Medical University.
In just four weeks, you’ll uncover the science of circadian rhythms and discover how they shape sleep, energy, and metabolism – giving you the tools to optimise your health and enhance your daily performance.
Get to know circadian clocks on the molecular level
You’ll begin this course by exploring the molecular biology behind your body’s internal clock, learning how genes, proteins, and biochemical processes work together to regulate circadian rhythms.
Grasp the mechanisms behind your circadian clock
You’ll then explore the biological mechanisms that regulate your circadian rhythms, including the role of genetic circuits and time-delayed negative feedback.
Through an in-depth look at key proteins and molecular pathways, you’ll uncover how these intricate processes help synchronise your body’s internal clock with the external environment, keeping vital functions in balance.
Unpack the influence of individual chronotypes
You’ll finally, delve into how your chronotypes – your body’s natural sleep-wake cycles – affect circadian rhythms and the role of external cues (e.g. light) in clock synchronisation.
As you explore intricate inner workings and fascinating phenomena, like social jet lag, you’ll apply mathematical modelling techniques to study circadian clocks and gain insights into the latest research from Taipei Medical University.
Syllabus
Week 1
Biology of the Circadian Clock
Biology of the Circadian Clock
This session explores the circadian clock, an intrinsic 24-hour rhythm that is genetic, autonomous, and persists across generations and environments.
Decoding Circadian Rhythms
We will explore the biological basis of the circadian clock using doubleplot actograms to understand genetically persistent rhythms.
Week 2
Time-Delayed Negative Feedback
Time-Delayed Feedback in Circadian Rhythm
Time-delayed negative feedback involves a system where output affects input after a delay, stabilizing fluctuations and promoting equilibrium.
Genetic Circuits and Time-Delayed Negative Feedback in Circadian Clocks
We will explore how mutations in the PER gene affect circadian rhythms through time-delayed feedback.
Week 3
Synchronization of the Circadian Clocks
The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Circadian Clock Synchronization
n this session, we will explore how the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) orchestrates circadian rhythms and synchronizes body clocks across organisms.
SCN Synchronization and Its Role in Circadian Rhythm
In this session, we will explore how phase differences and spontaneous synchronization in the SCN regulate circadian rhythms, coordinating body-wide clocks.
Week 4
Entrainment and Chronotypes
Entrainment and Chronotypes
Entrainment and Chronotypes
Understanding Circadian Rhythms and Chronotypes
Explore how light influences our internal clocks, the biological diversity of chronotypes, and the phenomenon of social jet lag.
Courses feedback and further learning
Courses feedback and further learning
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify and describe the molecular components of the circadian clock.
- Analyze the role of ultrasensitivity and time-delayed negative feedback in circadian rhythm generation.
- Investigate the mechanisms of clock synchronization in organisms and populations.
- Evaluate the impact of chronotypes on circadian rhythm variations and entrainment.
- Apply mathematical modeling techniques to study the circadian clock.
- Discuss the practical applications of circadian clock research in public health.
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone curious about the science behind your body’s internal clock and how it impacts health, sleep, and daily life.
Whether you’re a student, a health professional, or simply interested in biology, you’ll gain insights into the molecular rhythms that shape our world.
Who will you learn with?
Associate Professor
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Taipei Medical University
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $109/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 6 Mar 2025 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$109/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 6 Mar 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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