Kayser, M. S. & Biron, D. Sleep and development in genetically tractable model organisms. Genetics (2016).
As a basis, this article was written by Matthew S. Kayser and David Biron and was published in the Genetics Society of America journal (or GENETICS). The article’s abstract briefly explains that the entirety of the article investigates how genetics can correlate with sleep and development. Genetic model systems have given scientists a much better understanding of sleep and why it is known as a substantial need for every living organism. Sleep is especially important when it comes to early ages of life; the brain matures normally when the person in question gets the correct amount of sleep. In the article cited above, the two authors describe their findings in molecular as well as circuit mechanisms of sleep. These are all focused on because of the insights from models detailed by genetic analysis.
There is a question as to how genetically tractable model organisms would be able to tell information from such a broad topic, but with exploration in the various reaches of the animal kingdom there are answers. The main look into the relationship between sleep and the animal kingdom is the development of the nervous system as well as cognitive function. For example, sleep apnea has been known to have correlation with worsening neurological symptoms. This is due to loss of sleep, caused by the loss of oxygen from the sleep disorder. It is challenging to distinguish the long-lasting effects of sleep defects; especially when looking into adulthood. There is no focused evidence to prove this, but the assumption can be made; if sleep has a major effect on maturation and as a child you do not receive the correct amount…. then it can be suggested that cognitive functions and intelligence are affected in the long run.
In the third section of this article, the authors go more into different species sleep-like worm sleep. The species of worm that is used is the “nematode Caenorhabditis elegans” and the developmental nature of a term known as lethargus. Lethragus is similar to what we know as sleep, except it is not a common occurrence once worms have matured. It is almost like a circadian rhythm clock for the development of the larval. Interruption of this period has caused different occurrences with maturation and with the core regulation. Within the next few sections, Kayser and Biron go one to speak about fly sleep and fish sleep. All three (fish, flies, and worms) have similar sleep schedules as well as sleep effects during maturation. Dolphins were also studied in this article; because of the very different need for sleep compared to mammals as well as humans. They are known to have less sleep in their younger and developmental stages of life.
To end the article, the authors delve back into the mystery of sleep and how it truly effects not only humans in our growing age but different animals as well. There have been gene shown to link development of not only the brain but the nervous system with sleep. Again, there are various arguments for and against this thought. A good argument to back the hypothesis that sleep has much to do with nervous system development is that seeing as the nervous system comes from a singular cell that means that in turn sleep will also come from a common source. Scientists can look at this and act on it due to genetics and the science behind the vast subject.