Abstract: In this paper I will attempt to explain the nature of biological rhythms, their history, and their affect on the everyday workings of the human body and mind.
Biological rhythms, known also as circadian rhythms or the inner clock, pervade every aspect of human and animal life. Defined as "the biological clocks that regulate all animals, plants, and people, and that don't follow the artificial timing of the strict 24-hour solar/lunar day" ("Circadian Links", WWW 1996), biorhythms affect ordinary everyday activities in extraordinary ways. Even in the absence of light cues, human rhythms continue in remarkably stable patterns, and studies show that these patterns consistently fit to an average of a 25-hour day. Biorhythms affect an immense amount of bodily workings, including the heart rate, body temperature, moods, alertness, efficiency, sensitivity to pain, and the effects of alcohol. They have also been thought to influence patterns of birth and death and even behaviors throughout the woman's menstrual cycle. In essence, biorhythms influence almost every human action or reaction anyone could imagine.
Most early observations of the workings of circadian rhythms revolved around plants and small lab animals, namely bees, rats, and birds. Biorhythms were noticed as early as the fourth century BC, when a scribe of Alexander the Great noticed that there were rhythms surrounding the opening and closing of certain types of tree leaves. In 1729 the first biorhythms experiment was conducted by Jean Jacques d'Ortous deMairan on the heliotrope plant. The plant's leaves, even in complete blackness, opened and closed to a stable day-night pattern. One taxonomist, Carolus Linnaeus, took advantage of flowers'...
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...nd even life and death. They are the root of sleep disorders and sleep disturbances and also explain such phenomena as jet lag and insomnia. Even in isolation the human clock operates on a schedule close to that of a normal day. Studies and research continue in order to realize the full potential of biological daily planning and its effects upon efficiency of the mind and body.
Works Cited
"Circadian Links: Official Circadian Rhythms Website." Internet, 2014.
Cole, Roger J. "Jet Lag & Circadian Rhythms." Internet, 2014.
Hunter, Maxey, & Yurasits. "Biotiming Tutorial." Internet, 2014.
Knutson, Kristen. "Center for Circadian Biology and Medicine." Internet, 2014.
Palmer, John D. An Introduction to Biological Rhythms. New York: Academic Press, 2006.
Winfree, Arthur T. Biological Clocks. New York: Scientific American Books, Inc, 1987.
Sargent Murray. Ed. Sharon M Harris. New York: New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. 15-43
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