Researchers have uncovered certain cells that control the human chemical calendar, which may affect the body's immune system. Their findings have been published in the September edition of Current Biology journal.

The research is a collaboration between two British universities, Edinburgh and Manchester. In Current Biology, the reseachers explained that cells from the Pituitary gland controls how the human body reacts to the changing seasons of the year.

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They found out that the gland can produced thousands of "calendar cells" for the summer or winter season.

The chemical calendar is not only limited to humans. The study also discovered that mating and hibernation among animals is also governed by these calendar cells.

During the day, most of the calendar cells are turned on. But as night falls, most of them are turned off. There are certain periods of the year when all the cells are either all on or off.

This annual chemical process is scientifically called as the circannual rhythm. The trigger for the cells to awaken is light. During winter, when the days are short and dark, the hormone melatonin is released in greater quantities.

Researchers used sheeps as test subjects for the study, but it is likely that the same calendar cells can be found in other animals including humans in one form or another.

The human immune system is also at a high state of alert during winter months. This helps the body to combat the flu, but it may also worsen the health conditions of people suffering from health conditions like arthritis.

The findings were backed by thousands of blood samples collected from people of various countries. The researchers discovered that during the onset of the cold months, the immune system becomes much more active.

One of the researchers, Cambridge Professor John Todd, said the experiment has found out why some diseases are more common during certain parts of the year. However, other factors such as food or life styles can also affect the immune system.

The researchers theorized that the human genetic behavior is possibly due to evolution, which has helped man overcome infections and survived.

Tagscalendar cells, immune system, pituitary glands, circannual rhythm, circadian clock, annual clock, Current Biology, Human evolution, human biology