circadian rhythms

Question 1

what is a biological rhythm?

Answer 1

Distinct patterns of changes in biological activity that conform to cyclical time periods

Question 2

what is a circadian rhythm?

Answer 2

biological rhythms subject to a 24hr cycle

Question 3

what is an example of a circadian rhythm?

Answer 3

the sleep-wake cycle

Question 4

what is the suprachiasmatic nuclei?

Answer 4

structure found in the hypothalamus, endogenous pacemaker, recieves info about light via eyes. resets sleep wake cycle

Question 5

what study illustrates circadian rhythms?

Answer 5

Siffre’s Cave Study (1975)

Question 6

outline Siffres cave study?

Answer 6

no endogenous pacemakers
spent 6+months in cave, followed body inclinations, wired up and recorded it all.

results: first was erratic, then 35 hours, we do have internal mechanism that ranges to 25 hours

Question 7

ao3 poor methodology? circadian rhythms

Answer 7

limitation
case study cant be generalised to others as experience may differ, researcher bias as he was the researcher and ppt
impact of artificial light, may count as EZ

Question 8

ao3 population generalisability? circadian rhythms

Answer 8

limitation
cant generalise to females as only malestudies, may have different cycles due to hormones etc
cant generalise to other cultures, as they have different levels of sunlight which may affect internal cycle

Question 9

ao3 conflicting research? circadian rhythms

Answer 9

limitation
Aschoff and Wever (1976), ppts spent 4 weeks in WWII bunker deprived of light
ppts had CR 24-25 hrs, one had 29hrs
sleep cycle may be longer than 24hrs