Chronobiology is the study of cyclical patterns of behavior and physiology in organisms. Humans are very familiar with daily rhythms like our sleep/wake cycle. Scientists refer to these daily changes as circadian (which means “about a day” in Latin). Most mammals have roughly 24 cycles in their metabolism rates which are reflected in changes like body temperature (see figure below), wakefulness, and hunger. The daily behavioral rhythms we observe in organisms result from an interplay between internal physiological processes calledRead more
Posts tagged: #BWOM
Big Word: What’s for dinner?
Big Word of the Month is a regular feature that explores the sometimes challenging vocabulary of Biology. All animals need basically the same things to survive: water, calories, vitamins and minerals. However, animals acquire these necessities from a wide variety of sources. Some eat only one type of food for their whole lives while others may have different food at every meal. Biologists can usually tell what kind of food an animal eats by looking at their and teeth andRead more