Question

Describe the behavioral evidence from experiments that circadian rhythms stem from an endogenous “biological clock”. Use and define “free-running rhythm” in your answer.

Answer 1

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle.

It responds to light and dark in organisms like animals plants and even in mictobes.

Biological clocks are an organism’s innate timing device found in most of the tissues and organs. It produce and regulate the circadian rhythms.

Examples for circadian rhythms:

■ Sleep-wake cycles - a person regularly waking at same time without an alarm and feeling sleepy when the time comes that he ussually sleeping.

■ Hormone release

■ Eating habits and digestion

■ Body temperature.

When biological clocks that run fast or slow can results irregular rhythms leads to

chronic health conditions, like sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorders.

Free running rhythm of an intrinsic circadian rhythm is the activity like sleep of a person is no longer entrained to the 24-h schedule. It is also defect in circadian rhythm.