What is a circadian rhythm

• Distinct patterns of changes in body activity that conform to cyclical time periods. They can be influenced by internal body clocks or external changes to the environment.
• One biological rhythm is the 24-hour circadian rhythm (often known as the ‘body clock’), which is reset by levels of light.
• The word circadian is from the Latin ‘circa’ which means ‘about’, and ‘dian’, which means ‘day’.
• This regulates a number of bodily processes such as the sleep/wake cycle and core body temperature.
• Different parts of the body are more/less active at specific times throughout the day, however these processes are completed within 24 hours and then reset, to begin again the next day.
• A CIRCADIAN RHYTHM IS A BODILY PROCESS WHICH IS RESET EVERY 24 HOURS