A Brief Summary Of The Argument Of Sleep

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A human body without sleep body fails to function properly and can result in many health problems. To prevent this, our body utilizes a system in which it regulates the amount of sleep needed. The process by which the body adjusts the amount of sleep is an example of homeostasis. Because the specific mechanism by which this happens is not very well known to researchers, researchers set out to determine the mechanism. Because the brain is the control center that helps control all of the body’s functions, researchers started by examining it. Human subjects cannot be used because of ethical reasons, instead researchers tested on an animal with a similar nervous system - the fruit fly. Researchers focused on the cells of the brain, neurons, and stimulated different groups in the brain at night. If the group was responsible for helping creating a sleep drive was stimulated at night, then the next day the fruit flies would be deprived of sleep. Researchers were able to find a set of neurons that were responsible for a sleep drive. Researchers then attempted to prove that this neuron was indeed responsible. To test for this, researchers were able to stop the activity of the neuron. The results showed a weaker sleep drive following being awake for an extended period of time, confirming …show more content…
Neurons are able to communicate with each other using electric signals that occur when a threshold is met. This is similar to the firing of an arrow; it doesn’t happen until all the steps are met and once they are met it is completely fired. Using a scientific technique, researchers were able to measure the intensity and excitability to the neurons, similar to measuring how far back the arrow is pulled back. It was determined that neurons were more ready to send these signals when there was a need for