Biological rhythms

Question 1

What are the 3 biological rhythms?

Answer 1

Circadian, infradian and ultradian

Question 2

What is a circadian rhythm?

Question 3

What is an infradian rhythm?

Question 4

What is an ultradian rhythm?

Question 5

What is an example of a circadian rhythm?

Answer 5

The sleep/wake cycle

Question 6

What is are 2 examples of an infradian rhythm?

Answer 6

The menstrual cycle and seasonal affective disorder

Question 7

What is an example of an ultradian rhythm?

Question 8

What did Siffre investigate?

Answer 8

Investigated how the absence of external cues could affect biological rhythms

Question 9

How did Siffre investigate how the absence of external cues could affect biological rhythms?

Answer 9

He spent 2 months in a cave without access to daylight

Question 10

What were the findings from Siffre’s cave study?

Answer 10

His circadian rhythm was notably disrupted
he went into the cave 16 July 1962, came out 14 September 1962, however he thought the day he came out was the 20 August

Question 12

What are the hormones that create the menstrual cycle?

Answer 12

Oestrogen, progesterone and luteinizing hormone

Question 13

What are the 4 smaller cycles the menstrual cycle is broken into?

Answer 13

Menstruation, follicular phase, ovulatory phase and luteal phase

Question 14

Research for mentruation

Question 15

What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?

Answer 15

A mood disorder that is related to the change in seasons, begins and ends around the same time each year

Question 16

What treatment is used for seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?

Answer 16

Light therapy (phototherapy), psychotherapy, medication

Question 17

Roughly, how long is does the sleep cycle last?

Answer 17

90 minutes

Question 18

What happens during stages 1 and 2 of the sleep cycle?

Answer 18

→ Light sleep where the person may be easily woken
→ Brainwave patterns start to become slower and more rhythmic (alpha waves) becoming even slower as sleep becomes deeper (theta waves)

Question 19

What happens during stages 3 and 4 of the sleep cycle?

Answer 19

→ Involve delta waves which as slower still and have a greater amplitude than earlier wave patterns
→ Deep sleep or slow wave sleep
→ Difficult to rouse someone at this point

Question 20

What happens during stage 5 of the sleep cycle?

Answer 20

→ REM (rapid eye movement) sleep
→ The body is paralysed yet brain activity speeds up significantly in a manner that resembles the awake brain
→Jerky activity of the eyes under the eyelids

Question 21

What does REM research suggest about dreaming?

Answer 21

Research has suggested that REM activity during sleep is highly correlated with the experience of dreaming

Question 22

What did Randy Gardener do?

Answer 22

Went 11 days (264 hours) without sleeping at 17 years old

Question 23

How did Randy Gardener stay awake for so long?

Answer 23

He had people around him keeping him awake, he did not consume any stimulants

Question 24

What did Randy Gardener experience due to being awake for 11 days?

Answer 24

Mood swings, memory and attention lapses, loss of coordination, slurred speech and hallucinations