Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
06:53
Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures
Published on: November 11, 2016
Circadian molecular clocks tick along ontogenesis
A Sumová1, Z Bendová, M Sládek
1Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic. sumova@biomed.cas.cz
Physiological Research
|May 17, 2008
Summary
The development of the molecular circadian clockwork in the brain and body occurs gradually during early life. Initially driven by external cues, these internal biological clocks mature into self-sustained systems.
Area of Science:
- Chronobiology
- Developmental Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The circadian system regulates daily biological rhythms essential for organismal function.
- Circadian rhythms are governed by molecular clockworks within central and peripheral clocks.
- The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus houses the central circadian clock.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the developmental timeline of molecular circadian clocks during ontogenesis.
- To understand the mechanisms underlying the development of the SCN and peripheral clocks.
- To explore the transition from externally driven to self-sustained circadian oscillations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current research on circadian clock development.
- Summary of the established model for the molecular clockwork.
- Analysis of data on the ontogenesis of central and peripheral circadian systems.
Main Results:
- Circadian molecular oscillations develop gradually during ontogenesis, extending into the postnatal period.
- The central SCN clock matures earlier than peripheral clocks.
- Immature clocks may initially function as 'slave' oscillators, becoming self-sustained as the molecular clockwork develops.
Conclusions:
- Both intracellular molecular clockwork and intercellular coupling are crucial for SCN clock development.
- The gradual maturation of molecular oscillations underlies the development of functional circadian rhythms.
- Ontogenetic development transforms externally influenced clocks into autonomous, self-sustained biological timekeepers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent years,...
02:45Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses
The circadian—or biological—clock is an intrinsic, timekeeping, molecular mechanism that allows plants to coordinate physiological activities over 24-hour cycles called circadian rhythms. Photoperiodism is a collective term for the biological responses of plants to variations in the relative lengths of dark and light periods. The period of light-exposure is called the photoperiod.
01:15Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response
Circadian rhythms are cyclic changes that are crucial in plasma drug concentrations. Various standard circadian parameters, including core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular factors, directly impact disease states and the therapeutic response to drug therapy.
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
The time of drug administration is an important factor to consider, as it can influence the toxic dose of a drug. For example, a study conducted by Prins et al. in 1997 examined the effects of the timing of...
02:39Positive Regulator Molecules
Mitotic cell division results in daughter cells that exactly resemble the parent cell. However, errors in the DNA replication or distribution of genetic material may lead to genetic mutations that may be passed down to every new cell formed from the resulting abnormal cell. Propagation of such mutant cells is restricted through checkpoint mechanisms present at different stages of the cell cycle. These checkpoints involve regulator molecules that either promote or demote cell cycle events.
01:45Positive Regulator Molecules
To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.