The intricate, hierarchical organization and synchronization of all biological rhythms across the entire organism, encompassing the central circadian clock and the phase-locked peripheral clocks in various tissues, ensuring all physiological processes occur at their optimal time of day. This temporal order governs the timing of hormone release, gene expression, cell division, and metabolic activity, which is crucial for maintaining systemic health and resilience. Disruption to this order is known as chronodisruption and is a major contributor to metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
Origin
This concept is a unifying principle in chronobiology and systems biology, emphasizing that health is dependent not just on what processes occur, but precisely when they occur. ‘Systemic’ highlights the whole-body coordination, and ‘temporal order’ underscores the precise, time-based sequencing of biological events. It is the framework used to understand the pervasive influence of the circadian system.
Mechanism
The mechanism is orchestrated by the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is entrained by light and subsequently sends signals to synchronize peripheral clocks in the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue. This synchronization is achieved through neural, hormonal (e.g., melatonin, cortisol), and metabolic (e.g., nutrient timing) signals. Maintaining this order ensures that energy metabolism is upregulated during the active phase and restorative processes dominate during the rest phase, maximizing efficiency and minimizing cellular stress.
We use cookies to personalize content and marketing, and to analyze our traffic. This helps us maintain the quality of our free resources. manage your preferences below.
Detailed Cookie Preferences
This helps support our free resources through personalized marketing efforts and promotions.
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website, improving user experience and website performance.
Personalization cookies enable us to customize the content and features of our site based on your interactions, offering a more tailored experience.