Did You Know: During The Day, The Liver's Size Nearly Doubles

Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, discovered how this organ adapts to the cycles of eating and fasting within a 24-hour period. Researchers showed that mice's livers grow almost half their original size during periods of activity and rest, respectively.

In a study published in the journal Cell, they describe how the cellular mechanisms of this fluctuation disappear when the normal biological rhythm is reversed.

Scientists conducted the experiment on mice, which have a 24-hour circadian rhythm like us, but they are nocturnal, foraging and running around in the dark and sleeping in the sunlight hours.

Perhaps, as a next step, researchers may test whether the same thing happens in humans, and whether the same biological mechanism is at work.

Humans are probably affected by the disruption of our circadian clock due to professional constraints or personal habits. As the liver's metabolism and detoxification processes are governed by 350 genes, they all express according to a 24-hour cycle, which is reset by daylight.

Our livers are actually the most active when we are sleeping, and when we stay up late, they are unable to properly process our toxins. This can cause a buildup of toxins in our body, leading to various health problems.