Abstract
Earth’s rotation creates a cycle of day and night, which is observed as changes in light levels and temperature. During evolution, plants and animals adapted to these cycles, developing daily cycles of physical and behavioral processes that are driven by a central biological clock, also known as the circadian clock. Even in the absence of changes in light between day and night, the biological clock creates cycles called circadian rhythms. The nervous system transfers information about the external light level to the biological clock in the brain, which matches the clock’s cycle to the external environment. The biological clock prepares the body for environmental changes. The modern world has created disruptions in the circadian clock’s timing, because of electrical lighting, flights to other time zones, and work during the night. The study of chronobiology studies the mechanisms of the biological clock and the clock’s influence on human health.
Highlights
Repeating processes, such as waves moving up and down, create a rhythm characterized by a consistent cycle
The study of chronobiology studies the mechanisms of the biological clock and the clock’s influence on human health
The ability to create daily rhythms exists in di erent cells, tissues, and organs in the body. These clocks, called peripheral clocks, are obedient to the central clock, which is located at the base of the brain in an area called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
Summary
AGE: Earth’s rotation creates a cycle of day and night, which is observed as changes in light levels and temperature. Even in the absence of changes in light between day and night, the biological clock creates cycles called circadian rhythms. The nervous system transfers information about the external light level to the biological clock in the brain, which matches the clock’s cycle to the external environment. The biological clock prepares the body for environmental changes. The modern world has created disruptions in the circadian clock’s timing, because of electrical lighting, flights to other time zones, and work during the night. The study of chronobiology studies the mechanisms of the biological clock and the clock’s influence on human health
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