Biological rhythms: the science of chronobiology
First published: 1998
Brief summary
Classic introductory overview of chronobiology, biological timing, light, melatonin and medical implications.
Article
Chronobiology examines biological functions that vary systematically with time. These rhythms occur across several scales, including ultradian rhythms shorter than a day, circadian rhythms near 24 hours, and infradian rhythms that extend across days, months or seasons.
Circadian organisation is generated internally but is adjusted by environmental signals, particularly the light-dark cycle. Light reaching the eye influences the central timing system and affects the daily pattern of melatonin secretion, sleep, alertness and other physiological functions.
The review describes how biological timing has practical importance in medicine. Symptoms, physiological measurements and responses to drugs may change according to time of day, so the timing of observation or treatment can affect clinical interpretation and therapeutic results.
Disruption of normal timing can occur through shift work, rapid travel across time zones, illness or altered exposure to light. The article presents chronobiology as a framework for studying these changes and for understanding how internal rhythms interact with environmental schedules and medical care.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: PubMed
- Source type: Review
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: PubMed
- URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9507438/