Chronobiology
Article
Chronobiology is the study of biological rhythms and the mechanisms that organise biological processes in time. It examines rhythms ranging from fractions of a second to days, months, seasons, and years.
Circadian rhythms are a major focus of chronobiology, but the field also studies ultradian, infradian, tidal, lunar, and annual rhythms. These cycles can affect sleep, hormone secretion, metabolism, body temperature, behaviour, reproduction, migration, and many other processes.
Endogenous biological clocks can continue to oscillate under constant conditions, while environmental signals called zeitgebers adjust their timing. Light is the dominant cue for many circadian systems, although temperature, feeding, activity, and social signals can also contribute.
Chronobiological research is applied in sleep science, medicine, pharmacology, agriculture, ecology, shift-work research, and the study of seasonal adaptation. It also investigates how disrupted timing can affect health and performance.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronobiology