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circadian rhythm |
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circadian rhythm: see rhythm, biological rhythm, biological, cyclic pattern of physiological changes or changes in activity in living organisms, most often synchronized with daily, monthly, or annual cyclical changes in the environment. ..... Click the link for more information. . circadian rhythmInherent cycle of approximately 24 hours in length that appears to control or initiate various biological processes, including sleep, wakefulness, and digestive and hormonal activity. The natural signal for the circadian pattern is the change from darkness to light. The controlling mechanism for these cyclic processes within the body is thought to be the hypothalamus. Any change in the circadian cycle (such as jet lag and other conditions associated with travel) requires a certain period for readjustment. circadian rhythm [sər′kād·ē·ən ′rith·əm] (physiology) A self-sustained cycle of physiological changes that occurs over an approximately 24-hour cycle, generally synchronized to light-dark cycles in an organism's environment. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Holzapfel and Bradshaw remembered that idea one morning over coffee as they flipped through the decades of data they'd collected on photoperiodicity in W. Obviously, this variation is mostly due to the biologic and social differences among parental pairs (10); however, fecundability may be also influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, photoperiodicity, and food availability or quality (11). |
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