circadian

Examples of circadian in the following topics:

• Circadian Rhythms

  • Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, including animals, plants, and many tiny microbes.
  • Circadian rhythms are important in determining human sleep patterns.
  • Circadian rhythms, as we’ve just discussed, are heavily influenced by light.
  • Circadian rhythms have a hand in determining when we are alert and when we become sleepy.
  • Analyze the role that circadian rhythms play in the sleep cycle

• Visual Processing

  • The SCN is a cluster of cells that is considered to be the body's internal clock, which controls our circadian (day-long) cycle.
  • The presence of light and darkness influences circadian rhythms and related physiology and behavior through the SCN.

• Functions of the Diencephalon

  • The hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, sleep, and circadian cycles.
  • Some functions of its components include the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland (involved in circadian rhythms) and regulation of motor pathways and emotions.

• Epithalamus and Pineal Gland

  • Some functions of its components include the secretion of melatonin by the pineal gland (involved in circadian rhythms) and regulation of motor pathways and emotions.

• The Influence of Genes on Behavior

  • In another example, Seymour Benzer discovered he could breed certain fruit flies with others to create distinct behavioral characteristics and change their circadian rhythms.

• Schistosomiasis

  • Interestingly, the cercariae are released from the snail host in a circadian rhythm and depend on ambient temperature and light.

• Catabolic-Anabolic Steady State

  • The balance between anabolism and catabolism is also regulated by circadian rhythms, with processes such as glucose metabolism fluctuating to match an animal's normal periods of activity throughout the day.

• Lipid-Derived, Amino Acid-Derived, and Peptide Hormones

  • (b) The hormone melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms, is derived from the amino acid tryptophan.

• Pineal Gland and Gonads

  • Lastly, melatonin is involved in biological rhythms, particularly circadian rhythms such as the sleep-wake cycle and eating habits .

• Pituitary Gland Disorders

  • The hypothalamus secretes a number of hormones, often according to a circadian rhythm, into blood vessels that supply the anterior pituitary; most of these are stimulatory (thyrotropin-releasing hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone, gonadotropin-releasing hormone and growth hormone-releasing hormone), apart from dopamine, which suppresses prolactin production.