The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Psong
by Kathy Morgan

(sung to the tune of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
from "Mary Poppins," by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman)

Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
The suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!
Even though the sound of it is something off the wall, it
lets us know the difference 'tween the sunrise and nightfall, the
suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Light input from the re-ti-na
goes to the LGN
From there to the occipitals
then rostrally again
But there's another neural path
light information takes
a place that lets us sleep at night
but in the morning wakes
The suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!
Even though the sound of it is something off the wall, it
lets us know the difference 'tween the sunrise and nightfall, the
suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
This nucleus is just above the optic chiasm
and it responds to darkness and the setting of the sun
It keeps track of our daylength and it gets us out of bed
It seems to be the clock that you have built into your head.
The suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!
Even though the sound of it is something off the wall, it
lets us know the difference 'tween the sunrise and nightfall, the
suprachiasmatic nucleus is what they call it!