• Bookmarks

    Bookmarks

  • Concepts

    Concepts

  • Activity

    Activity

  • Courses

    Courses


A Phase Response Curve (PRC) is a graphical representation that describes how a biological or physical oscillator's cycle is altered due to perturbations at various phases within the cycle. It is a crucial tool for understanding how rhythms, such as circadian rhythms or cardiac cycles, synchronize with external stimuli or changes in environment.
Circadian rhythms are natural, internal processes that regulate the sleep-wake cycle and repeat roughly every 24 hours, influencing various physiological functions in living organisms. These rhythms are driven by a biological clock and can be affected by environmental cues like light and temperature, impacting overall health and well-being.
Phase shift refers to the change in the phase of a wave, often described in degrees or radians, indicating how much a wave is shifted horizontally from its original position. It is a crucial concept in understanding wave interference, signal processing, and the behavior of alternating current circuits.
Entrainment is the synchronization of an organism's internal biological rhythms with external environmental cues, such as light-dark cycles. This process is crucial for maintaining circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and other physiological processes.
Biological clocks are internal timing mechanisms that regulate the physiological processes of organisms, aligning them with external environmental cues like light and temperature. These clocks are primarily governed by circadian rhythms, which follow a roughly 24-hour cycle and are crucial for maintaining homeostasis and optimizing biological functions.
Chronobiology is the study of biological rhythms and how they are governed by internal clocks and external cues such as light and temperature. It examines how these rhythms influence physiological processes, behaviors, and health across different organisms.
Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by a significant delay in the timing of the major sleep episode relative to the desired or conventional sleep time, leading to difficulty in falling asleep and waking up at socially acceptable times. This condition often results in chronic sleep deprivation and can significantly impact daily functioning, social life, and mental health.
Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD) is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder characterized by a significant shift in the sleep-wake cycle, leading individuals to feel sleepy earlier in the evening and wake up earlier in the morning than desired. This condition can impact social, occupational, and other important areas of functioning, often requiring behavioral interventions or light therapy for management.
Endogenous oscillators are biological systems that produce regular, cyclical changes in organism physiology and behavior, independent of external cues. These internal clocks are crucial for maintaining homeostasis and orchestrating daily and seasonal rhythms in living organisms.
3