Circadian rhythm
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A circadian rhythm is a biological processes which displays an endogenous, entrainable oscillation of about 24 hours. These rhythms are driven by (or composed of) a circadian clock, and rhythms have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. The term circadian comes from the Latin circa, meaning "around" (or "approximately"), and diem or dies, meaning "day". The formal study of biological temporal rhythms, such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology. Although circadian rhythms are endogenous ("built-in", self-sustained), they are adjusted (entrained) to the local environment by external cues called zeitgebers, commonly the most important of which is daylight.
See also
- Actigraphy (also known as Actimetry)
- ARNTL
- ARNTL2
- Bacterial circadian rhythms
- Circaseptan, 7-day biological cycle
- Circadian rhythm sleep disorders
- Circadian oscillator
- Cryptochrome
- CRY1 and CRY2: the cryptochrome family genes
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome
- Diurnal cycle
- Light effects on circadian rhythm
- Light in school buildings
- PER1, PER2, and PER3: the period family genes
- Photosensitive ganglion cell: part of the eye which is involved in regulating circadian rhythm.
- Polyphasic sleep
- Segmented sleep
