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Related Concept Videos

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian 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,...
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian 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,...
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Biological 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.
Osmoregulation in Insects01:47

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Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.
Chronopharmacokinetics: Circadian Rhythms and Influence on Drug Response01:15

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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.
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Rapid Analysis of Circadian Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Protoplasts Transfected with a Luminescent Clock Reporter
07:42

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Published on: September 17, 2016

Insect circadian clock outputs.

Charlotte Helfrich-Förster1, Michael N Nitabach, Todd C Holmes

  • 1Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, Theodor-Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, Germany.

Essays in Biochemistry
|August 9, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Insect circadian clocks regulate daily rhythms in behavior and physiology. Despite diverse lifestyles, from fruit flies to migrating butterflies, conserved cellular and network mechanisms underlie these essential biological clocks.

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Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters
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Published on: September 27, 2012

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Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Rapid Analysis of Circadian Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Protoplasts Transfected with a Luminescent Clock Reporter
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Rapid Analysis of Circadian Phenotypes in Arabidopsis Protoplasts Transfected with a Luminescent Clock Reporter

Published on: September 17, 2016

Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters
10:38

Monitoring Cell-autonomous Circadian Clock Rhythms of Gene Expression Using Luciferase Bioluminescence Reporters

Published on: September 27, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Insect Physiology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Insects exhibit diverse daily rhythms, primarily in behavior, governed by internal circadian timekeeping systems.
  • These systems comprise a timekeeper (clock), environmental inputs (light, temperature), and outputs regulating physiological and behavioral parameters.
  • Cellular clocks in insects are located in clock neurons, organized into circuits that generate autonomous circadian rhythmicity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the fundamental mechanisms of circadian timekeeping in insects.
  • To understand how circadian clocks influence diverse insect behaviors, including rest-activity cycles and navigation.
  • To identify conserved cellular and network principles underlying circadian outputs across different insect species.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on insect circadian rhythms and clock mechanisms.
  • Comparative analysis of circadian clock functions in species with distinct ecological niches (e.g., Drosophila, migratory locusts, butterflies).
  • Focus on cellular and network-level mechanisms of circadian outputs.

Main Results:

  • Circadian timekeeping systems in insects involve a clock, environmental inputs, and outputs regulating daily rhythms.
  • Drosophila use circadian clocks for local environmental adaptation (rest-activity).
  • Migratory insects utilize circadian clocks for time-compensated sun-compass navigation.

Conclusions:

  • Substantial similarities exist in the cellular and network mechanisms underlying circadian outputs across all insects.
  • Circadian clocks are crucial for both local environmental adaptation and long-distance navigation in insects.
  • The study highlights conserved biological clock mechanisms despite diverse insect behaviors and lifestyles.