Circadian rhythm – Introduction

circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological, or behavioural processes of living entities, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria (see bacterial circadian rhythms).

circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological, or behavioural processes of living entities, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria (see bacterial circadian rhythms). The term "circadian" comes from the Latin ''circa'', "around", and ''diem'' or ''dies'', "day", meaning literally "approximately one day". The formal study of biological temporal rhythms such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology.

Although circadian rhythms are endogenous, they are adjusted (entrained) to the environment by external cues called zeitgebers, the primary one of which is daylight.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Circadian rhythm, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki








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