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Related Concept Videos

Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses02:45

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.
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Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.

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Light Preference Assay to Study Innate and Circadian Regulated Photobehavior in Drosophila Larvae
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Published on: April 20, 2013

Insect photoperiodism: measuring the night.

D S Saunders1

  • 1Emeritus Professor, University of Edinburgh, 21 Leadervale Road, Edinburgh EH16 6PB, Scotland, UK. david59.saunders@mypostoffice.co.uk

Journal of Insect Physiology
|November 28, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The duration of the night, not the day, is key for seasonal diapause in insects. This night length measurement involves a daily biological clock, supporting Bünning

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Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Published on: February 26, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Insect Physiology
  • Photoperiodism

Background:

  • Photoperiodism regulates seasonal adaptations like insect diapause.
  • The daily light-dark (LD) cycle influences this process, with night length often being critical.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of circadian rhythms in measuring photoperiod for diapause induction.
  • To determine whether day length or night length is the primary cue.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Nanda-Hamner (NH) experiments with extended light (L) and dark (D) periods.
  • Analyzed diapause incidence in relation to varying LD cycle durations.
  • Compared photoperiodic responses to known circadian rhythms like adult eclosion.

Main Results:

  • Night duration (D) is more critical than day duration (L) for photoperiodic diapause induction.
  • Evidence suggests repeated measurement of night length, linked to a 24-hour circadian cycle.
  • The circadian oscillation's primary time cue is the onset of darkness (CT 12).

Conclusions:

  • Circadian involvement in night length measurement is crucial for discriminating between seasonal photoperiods.
  • Bünning's hypothesis, or its extensions, provides the most plausible explanation for photoperiodic mechanisms in diapause.
  • Further downstream circadian actions likely modulate the final photoperiodic response.