Related topics: circadian clock , biological clock



Circadian rhythm

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A circadian rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioral processes of living entities, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria (see bacterial circadian rhythms). The term "circadian", coined by Franz Halberg, comes from the Latin circa, "around," and diem or dies, "day", meaning literally "approximately one day." The formal study of biological temporal rhythms such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology.

Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, and can be entrained by external cues, called Zeitgebers, the primary one of which is daylight. These rhythms allow organisms to anticipate and prepare for precise and regular environmental changes.

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News tagged with circadian rhythms


Appetite, consumption controlled by clockwork genes at cross-purposes in flies

Biology / Biotechnology

created Dec 06, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

One of the pioneers in research on sleep:wake circadian genes, Amita Sehgal, Ph.D., has discovered that fruit flies' appetite and consumption are controlled by two rival sets of clocks, one in neurons and the other in the ...





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Hebrew University, US scientists find clue to mystery of biological clock

Scientists find clue to mystery of biological clock

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

How does our biological system know that it is supposed to operate on a 24-hour cycle? Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that a tiny molecule holds the clue to the mystery.


Scientists show that plants have measure of the shortest day

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 23, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- It is not only people who feel the effects of short winter days - new research by the University of Edinburgh and the University of Warwick has shed light on how plants calculate their own winter solstice. ...


Heart drugs show promise for fighting colon cancer

Heart drugs show promise for fighting colon cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists in Sweden are reporting for the first time that a group of drugs used to treat heart failure shows promise for fighting colon cancer. The study is in ACS' Journal of Natural Products. Colon cancer ...


Sick of swine flu? Toxic algae could be the next big threat

Space & Earth / Environment

created Dec 15, 2009 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 1

With a new theory surfacing that toxic algae rather than asteroids killed the dinosaurs, scientists are still trying to unravel the mystery of what caused a massive algae bloom off the Northwest Coast that left thousands ...



List of search results for circadian rhythms