Circadian Rhythms

Question 1

What are biological rhythms

Answer 1

They are distinct patterns of changes in body activity to confirm cyclical time periods

Question 2

What are biological rhythms influenced by

Answer 2

Endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeigetbergs

Question 3

What are endogenous pacemakers

Answer 3

Internal body clocks

Question 4

What are exogenous zeigetbergs

Answer 4

External changes to the environment

Question 5

What are circadian rhythms

Answer 5

Biological rhythms that are subject to a 24 hour cycle which regulates a number of bodily processes

Question 6

What are two examples of circadian rhythms

Answer 6

Sleepwalk cycle and core body temperature

Question 7

What endogenous pacemaker is the sleepwake cycle governed by

Answer 7

The Suprachiasmatic nucleus

Question 8

What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Answer 8

It’s the biological clock which regulates sleep wake cycle

Question 9

Where is the suprachiasmatic nucleus located

Answer 9

It lies just above the optic chiasm

Question 10

How does the suprachiasmatic nucleus work with the optic chiasm

Answer 10

Provide information from the eye about light

Question 11

What is the exogenous zeitgeber in the process of scn

Answer 11

Light

Question 12

What does the exogenous zeitgeber (light) do for the SCN

Answer 12

Resets the SCN

Question 13

What is the main study for the sleepwake cycle and circadian rhythm

Answer 13

Saffres cave study

Question 14

What do researchers refer to as free running in terms of the sleepwake cycle

Answer 14

No influence of external stimulus such as light

Question 15

How did Siffre study his biological rhythm

Answer 15

He spent several extended periods underground to study that affects of his own biological rhythm

Question 16

What did Siffre deprive himself of and allow himself to have during his study on biological

Answer 16

Deprived himself of natural light and sound

Allowed himself to have adequate food and drinks

Question 17

When Siffre resurfaced what time of the year did he think it was and what was the reality

Answer 17

He thought it was mid August when it was actually mid September

Question 18

How long did Siffre stay in the Southern Alps cave

Answer 18

2 months

Question 19

When he performed a similar fee a decade later what changes did he make

Answer 19

Instead of saying in the cave for two months he said for six months and instead of the Southern Alps he stayed in a Texan cave

Question 20

What researcher had similar results shown with Siffre

Answer 20

Aschoff and Wever

Question 21

How was aschoffs and Wevers study conducted

Answer 21

They convinced a group of participants to spend four weeks in a world war two bunker which was deprived of natural light

Question 22

What were the findings of aschoffs and Wevers research

Answer 22

All but one of the participants display the circadian rhythm between 24 and 25 hours (the anolomaly was 29 hours)

Question 23

What did the two cave and bunker studies show about the sleep week cycle

Answer 23

It suggests that the natural sleepwake cycle may be slightly longer than 24 hours but that is entrained by exogenous zeitgeber associated with our 24-hour day

Question 24

What was Folkards aim of his study

Answer 24

To study how we should not overestimate the influence of exogenous zeiterbergs on our internal biological clock

Question 25

How did Folkard conduct his study

Answer 25

He studied a group of 12 people who agreed to live in a dark cave for three weeks going to bed when the clock said 11:45 p.m. and waking up when it said 7:45 a.m.

Question 26

What did the researchers of Folkards research change over the course of the study

Answer 26

They gradually started to speed up the clock unknown to the participants so that a 24 hour day would eventually be 22 hours

Question 27

What was the result of folk art study

Answer 27

Only one of the participants was able to comfortably adjust to the new change which suggests that the existence of a strong free running circadian rhythm can’t be easily overridden by exogenous zeitgebers

Question 28

How does core body temperature vary over the course of a day

Answer 28

If I is the lowest around 4:00 a.m. where it’s at 36 degrees Celsius and peaks around six pm at 38 degrees Celsius

Question 29

What does evidence suggest about body temperature and is correlation with mental abilities

Answer 29

The warmer we are internally the better our cognitive performance

Question 30

How did Folkard study the effect of body temperature on mental abilities

Answer 30

You demonstrated how children who had stories read to them at 3 p.m. showed superior recall and comprehension after a week compared to children who heard the same stories at 9:00 a.m.

Question 31

How did Gupta study the effects of body temperature on mental abilities

Answer 31

She found improved performance on IQ test when participants were assessed at 7:00 p.m. as opposed to 2pm and 9:00 a.m.