Biological Rhythms

Biological Rhythms – terms and characteristics

Rate of
activity

Time
Amplitude – magnitude of change in the activity
Period – time required to complete an entire cycle

Phase – any recognizable part of the cycle (e.g. active phase)

Biological Rhythms – terms and characteristics

1. Rhythms are temperature-compensated.

2. Unaffected by metabolic poisons or inhibitors

3. Occur with approximately the same frequency as

some environmental feature
4. Self-sustaining – maintain cyclicity in absence of cues

5. Can be entrained by environmental cues

Types of Rhythms

i) Epicycles (Ultradian) Rhythms

- cycles of repeated activity that are less than 24 hours

Arenicola marina - feed on surface every 6 -8 mins

Types of Rhythms
i) Epicycles (Ultradian) Rhythms
Types of Rhythms

ii) Tidal Rhythms

- cycles of repeated activity that are synchronized with tidal flow

-fiddler crab - times activity cycles to

match tidal flow

High tide

Foraging area
Types of Rhythms

ii) Tidal Rhythms

Types of Rhythms

ii) Tidal Rhythms

Types of Rhythms

iii) Lunar Rhythms

- cycles of repeated activity that are synchronized with lunar cycles

Clunio marinus Emergence is geared to lowest tide

Types of Rhythms

iii) Lunar Rhythms

- cycles of repeated activity that are synchronized with lunar cycles

-spawn between 10 pm and 4 am

on the night before a full or new
moon

California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis)

Types of Rhythms

iv) Circadian Rhythms

- cycles of activity that are repeated approximately every 24 hours
 Types of Rhythms

iv) Circadian Rhythms

- cycles of activity that are repeated approximately every 24 hours

Crepuscular

A Diurnal Nocturnal
c
t
i
v
i
t
y

Dawn Noon Dusk Midnight Dawn

Types of Rhythms

v) Circannual Rhythms
-rhythms that are approximately 1 year long
- hibernation

Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Controls of Rhythms

Calling by Male Crickets

Hypothesis 1:
Male cricket possesses an internal timer that measures time
since last singing bout.

Hypothesis 2:
Male cricket is cued to sing by the effect of changing light
levels on some control centre in the brain.
Controls of Rhythms
light dark
Calling by Male Crickets

Begin at same time

light

Shift start time

light dark

Begin at same time

Controls of Rhythms
light dark
Calling by Male Crickets

ENTRAINED

light

FREE-RUNNING

light dark

ENTRAINED
 Cricket Calling Rhythm

Optic lobe

 separate
ganglion

Subesophageal
ganglion

Rhythm maintained Rhythm lost

In Mammals
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
In Mammals
Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Arrhythmic patterns of
Remove SCN locomotion, feeding,
hormone secretion

Implant donor
SCN tissue

Return rhythms
of donor hamster
In Mammals
Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Not the only pacemaker

In Rhesus monkeys

Ablate SCN Loss of activity cycle

Maintain body temperature
cycle

Ablate Loss of body temperature

Ventromedial cycle
hypothalamus
 General Functioning of Biological Clocks

locomotion

hormone release
Sensory Pace-
Environmental cues maker
receptors
feeding

Clock-setting Clock others

pathway mechanism
Observed
behaviour
Gonyaulax – Circadian Bioluminescence

Night

Day
Arrhythmic behaviour

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Naked Mole Rat

What is responsible for circadian rhythms in mammals?
Pineal gland Pineal eye

Regulates rhythms based on photoperiod

CIRCADIAN ‘CLOCK’ IN Drosophila

CLK CYC

per mRNA PER protein

tim mRNA TIM protein

Effector mRNA Effector
gene protein
PROMOTER

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/clocks/drosophila_clock.html
CIRCADIAN ‘CLOCK’ IN Drosophila

CLK CYC

per mRNA PER protein

tim mRNA TIM protein

Effector mRNA Effector
gene protein
PER/TIM
PROMOTER
dimers
move to nucleus

dissociate
CIRCADIAN ‘CLOCK’ IN Drosophila

CLK CYC

per mRNA PER protein

tim mRNA TIM protein

Effector mRNA Effector
gene protein
PER/TIM
PROMOTER
dimers
move to nucleus

dissociate
per
GENES
tim TURNED
Effector OFF
gene
PROMOTER
Setting the Clock

Light (blue) absorbed by cryptochromes

Allosteric change

Can bind PER and TIM

Breakdown of PER and TIM

End of inhibition of transcription

CIRCADIAN ‘CLOCK’ IN MAMMALS

CLK BMAL1

per mRNA PER protein

cry mRNA CRY protein

Effector mRNA Effector
gene protein
PROMOTER

per
GENES
cry TURNED
Effector OFF
gene
PROMOTER
Genetic Control of Daily Cycle - per gene mutations
24 hrs

Wild type

Long-period
per gene

Arrhythmic

Short-period

After Baylies et al, 1987

Rhythmic Changes in Colour

Uca panacea – fiddler crab

Light Phase

Dark Phase

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

Rhythmic Changes in Colour

Uca panacea – fiddler crab

Light Phase
Conflicting demands

Thermoregulation
Dark Phase
Camouflage

Communication

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

Rhythmic Changes in COlour

Uca panacea – fiddler crab

Dark Phase

Black background, low temperatures

Takes precedence
Light Phase

White background, high temperatures

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

Rhythmic Changes in Colour

Colour changes via melanophores

Rhythmic Changes in Colour

Light phase Dark phase

Fully Fully
concentrated dispersed

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

Rhythmic Changes in Colour

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

 Natural L:D cycle

Reversed L:D cycle

Reversed L:D cycle

(+ 3 days)

Darnell. 2012 J.Exp.Mar. Biol. Ecol. 427:39

Rhythms in Arctic Breeding Birds

Steiger et al. 2013. Proc.Roy,Soc.Lond. 280:

Rhythms in Arctic Breeding Birds

Semipalmated sandpiper Pectoral sandpiper

Red phalarope Lapland longspur

Steiger et al. 2013. Proc.Roy,Soc.Lond. 280:

 Rhythms in Arctic Breeding Birds

Species Mating Parental Sex Arrythmic Entrained Free

system Care running
Semipalmated monogamous Biparental Male Pre- Incubation
sandpiper incubation
Female Pre- Incubation
incubation

Pectoral polygynous Female only Male Entire season

sandpiper
Female Pre- Incubation
incubation

Red phalarope Polyandrous Male only Male Pre- Incubation

Role reversal incubation

female Entire season

Lapland longspur Monogamous Biparental Male Entire season

(female only
incubation Female Entire season