BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS: IT’S A MATTER OF TIME

Text: Rhythms of Life

Russell Foster and Leon Kreitzman
• What are Biological Rhythms?

• What are Rhythms?

What is a rhythm?

Pattern
Sequence
Regularity
Progression
Time
Measure
Beat
Rhythm = sequence of events that repeat themselves in
the same order and with the same time interval, over and
over again.

Biological rhythm: a biological event or function with a

pattern of activity that is repeated over and over again at
a constant time interval.
What are examples of Biological Rhythms?

Biological Rhythms
Heart rate
Breathing
Hormone secretion
Menstrual cycle
Body temperature
Time
Sleep/wake cycle
• Biological Rhythms are the product of an internal biological
timekeeping system which is controlled by a biological clock

•Chronobiology

•
Two Broad Categories of Biological Rhythms
•high frequency –
•Ultradian
•Those that have a constant relationship with environmental
rhythms –
•Have a geophysical counterpart
ENVIRONMENTAL RHYTHMS

Semi-Daily Rhythms
•Tidal

Daily Rhythms
•Solar

Monthly
•Lunar

Quarterly
•Seasons

Annual
Longer than a year
Spinning of earth on its axis 24h – solar day
Movement of earth around sun 365 days – year
Tilting of earth on its axis seasons
Movement of moon around earth 24.53 days – lunar month
24.8h – lunar day

Geophysical
 Types of biological rhythms with a geophysical counterpart:

Period Chronobiological
Name Example
Length Name
12.4 h tidal CIRCA TIDAL crab activity on shoreline

29 days monthly CIRCA LUNAR menstrual cycle, marine reproduction.

365
yearly CIRCANNUAL Hibernation, many reproductive cycles.
infradian
days
CIRCADIAN
24 h daily sleep-wake cycle and many others
(circa + diem)
What Kind of Organisms Have Biological Rhythms?
 What is the purpose of having a biological timekeeping system?
Promotes organism’s ability to survive by coordinating its activities
with changes in the environment
Coordinates internal processes
STROMATOLITE
Many organisms have several kinds of biological rhythms
Alexander the Great
4th Century BC
Tamarind Tree
de Mairan, 1729

endogenous
Du Monceau 1759
Circadian rhythms do not depend on temperature changes
Linneaeus 1751
Circadian rhythms are genetically determined
Linneaeus 1751
de Candolle 1832
When not exposed to environmental day/night rhythms plant
leaves opened and closed on a 22 – 23 h cycle instead of a 24 h
cycle
Free-running rhythm
•Circadian rhythms are endogenous.
•Endogenous rhythms are not exactly 24h.
•The periods of Circadian rhythms are genetically
determined.
•Endogenous rhythms are temperature-compensated
Bees – 1910 Forel
1929 Beling
1950s Renner
Drosophila – 1950s Pittendrigh
 PACEMAKER

TARGET TISSUE

BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS
(overt rhythms)
 ZEITGEBER

TRANSDUCER

PACEMAKER
Endogenous, free-running
rhythm

INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTS

TARGET TISSUES

BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS
Activity (locomotor) rhythm
Chronobiology Study of biological timekeeping
Biological rhythm Cyclical, repeated variation in a biological function
Ultradian High frequency – repeats many times in a day
Infradian Repeats at intervals much longer than 24 hours
Circadian Approximately a day (24 hours)
Circatidal Approximately every 12.4 hours ( with the tide)
Circalunar Approximately once a month
Circannual Approximately once a year
Endogenous Internally generated rhythm
Free-running Not synchronized to external signals
Pacemaker A structure that generates a rhythm
Target tissue Tissue whose function is regulated by the pacemaker
Overt rhythm A visible, measurable rhythm
Nocturnal Active at night
Diurnal Active during the day
LL Constant light
DD Constant darkness
LD 12:12 12 hours of light; 12 hours of dark