Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

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 Regulation

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,...

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses

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.

The Pineal Gland

The Pineal Gland

The pineal gland, a diminutive endocrine structure named for its pinecone-shaped appearance, is situated atop the third ventricle within the diencephalon region of the forebrain. This gland, composed of secretory cells known as pinealocytes arranged in compact cords and clusters around dense particles of calcium salts, plays a pivotal role in hormonal regulation.
The primary secretion of the pineal gland is the hormone melatonin, derived from serotonin. The concentration of melatonin in the...

Development of the Heart

Development of the Heart

The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...

Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus

Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus

Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Dexamethasone affects the circadian clock in the fetal mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus at the transcriptional level.

Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie·2026

Same author

Resveratrol and dexamethasone have cell-specific effects on the circadian clock but not on the rhythm of mitochondrial function in the fetal heart.

Journal of physiology and biochemistry·2026

Same author

<i>Tert</i> Deletion Impairs Circadian Regulation of Blood Pressure in Male Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)·2025

Same author

Suprachiasmatic Nuclei Possess Glucocorticoid Receptors That Activate Downstream Signaling Pathways but Do Not Entrain Their Circadian Clock.

Acta physiologica (Oxford, England)·2025

Same author

Effects of type 1 diabetes on sleep duration and timing - a comparison within the general population.

Sleep medicine·2025

Same author

Maternal food-derived signals oscillate in the fetal suprachiasmatic nucleus before its circadian clock develops.

PLoS biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

Circadian system from conception till adulthood.

Alena Sumova¹, Martin Sladek¹, Lenka Polidarova¹

¹Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic.

Progress in Brain Research

|August 11, 2012

Summary

The mammalian circadian system develops hierarchically, with maternal cues initially setting the pace and the central clock later synchronizing peripheral clocks. Understanding this ontogenesis is crucial for preventing adult circadian diseases.

More Related Videos

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Published on: January 24, 2013

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

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

Published on: September 17, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 19, 2026

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Parallel Measurement of Circadian Clock Gene Expression and Hormone Secretion in Human Primary Cell Cultures

Published on: November 11, 2016

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Recording and Analysis of Circadian Rhythms in Running-wheel Activity in Rodents

Published on: January 24, 2013

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

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

Published on: September 17, 2016

Area of Science:

Chronobiology
Developmental Biology
Neuroscience

Background:

The mammalian circadian system integrates a central clock (suprachiasmatic nuclei) with peripheral clocks in tissues.
This hierarchical system synchronizes bodily functions with daily environmental cycles.
Circadian system development (ontogenesis) involves significant changes in its structure and environmental signal sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the developmental trajectory of the mammalian circadian system.
To investigate the distinct roles of maternal cues and the light-dark cycle in entraining circadian rhythms during ontogenesis.
To assess the vulnerability of the developing circadian system to environmental disturbances.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on circadian system development in mammals.
Analysis of the hierarchical organization and entrainment mechanisms during ontogenesis.
Examination of the transition from maternal cue dominance to light-dark cycle dominance.

Main Results:

The central circadian clock matures gradually, while peripheral clocks develop independent rhythms at different stages.
Maternal feeding influences early peripheral clock rhythms, with the central clock later taking over entrainment.
The perinatal period represents a vulnerable window where external disturbances can impact circadian system development.

Conclusions:

The circadian system's ontogenesis is a programmed process influenced sequentially by maternal factors and environmental cycles.
Disturbances during early development may have long-term consequences, potentially contributing to adult circadian diseases.
Further research is needed to understand the plasticity and resilience of the developing circadian system.