Infradian rhythm
Article
An infradian rhythm is a biological rhythm with a period longer than 24 hours. The category includes rhythms lasting days, weeks, months, seasons, or years.
Examples include the human menstrual cycle, seasonal reproduction, hibernation, migration, moulting, annual flowering, and changes in immune, hormonal, or behavioural activity over longer timescales.
Infradian rhythms may be produced by internal timing mechanisms, environmental cycles, or both. Day length, temperature, food supply, rainfall, lunar or tidal conditions, and social signals can synchronise longer biological rhythms.
Because these rhythms often unfold slowly, they can be difficult to distinguish from trends or one-time changes. Long-duration observations and repeated cycles are generally needed to measure their period, phase, variability, and relationship to environmental cues.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infradian_rhythm