BIO 359K Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Ultradian Rhythm, Gametogenesis, Ventromedial Nucleus Of The Hypothalamus
Document Summary
Any rhythmic activity or behavior is going to be the result of both an endogenous pacemaker and an external or environmental synchronizer. Rhythmic activities can be animal behaviors, but virtually every living thing on this planet shows some kind of biological rhythm or rhythms and a lot of our insight into these aspects of living organisms has come from non-animal research. The molecular mechanisms of biological rhythms are highly conserved from an evolutionary perspective. Biological rhythms are also a great way to study both proximate and ultimate explanations of behavior. Sub-categories are diurnal (active in daylight), nocturnal (night), and crepuscular (dusk or dawn). Humans show clear circadian rhythms: can be altered over a yearly period, ex. Bird species living in northern temperate habitat throughout the year can switch from crepuscular activity in the spring and summer to diurnal activity in the winter: can be altered over the lifetime of an individual animal, ex.
