Chronobiology: Take heed of your biological clock

Chronobiology: 

Take heed of your biological clock

"Living organisms take heed of their biological clock - 

except humans, in many cases." avr

Dr Abe V. Rotor

Author left, takes a break with his students at the UST Graduate School 2010

“There is a time for all things.”
- William Shakespeare

Each one of us is governed by a built-in clock within.  Everything we do is “timed;” it has a schedule. And this living clock controls our actions and behaviors.  

It is the key to survival; a tool in evolution so that it is ingrained in our genes. If that is so, are our biological clocks then synchronized?

Generally, yes. And that is why we all respond to common rules that society has set for us. We respond to the seasons of the year, each characterized by events we celebrate. We have standard working hours, and curfew. Weekends are set aside for rest and leisure. Summer means vacation. We observe three meals a day, coffee breaks, siestas, and the like.

Menstrual cycle, estrus periods, stages in growth and development – all these are controlled by inner rhythms dictated by that biological clock. So patterned are our laws and rules that we know well the best season to plant or to hunt, to plan weddings and inaugurations, to travel, to go to school, to have a date, to meditate, to be merry.

There is a saying,
“There’s time for everything.”

To every thing there is a season, and a time to

every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,

and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to

break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to

mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to

gather stones together; a time to embrace,

and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep,

and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep

silence, and time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war,

and a time of peace.     

        - Ecclesiastes

Yes, we are governed by inner rhythms which are classified into the following:

Ultradian - Less than a heartbeat
Fluctuation of energy
Attention span
Brain waves

Circadian (daily) day
Blood pressure level
Sleep wake cycle
Cell division

Circaseptan (weekly ) about a week
Rejection of kidney, heart, and pancreas transplants

Circatrigintan (monthly) about a month
Menstrual Cycle

Circannual (annual) about a year
Seasonal depression
Susceptibility to some diseases
biological clock

Living organisms take heed of their biological clock - except humans, in many cases. ~

Acknowledgement with gratitude:

Internet images