Mechanisms involved in BR

• • Internal body clocks that allow organisms to control their internal rhythms.
  • As a result they set a ‘free-running‘ rhythm in specific biological or psychological processes.

  Endogenous pacemakers
• • Literally means ‘external time-givers’.
  • External cues that may entrain our biological rhythms.
  • Light is seen as the main EZ.

  Exogenous zeitgebers
• • Seen as the main endogenous pacemaker in the body.
  • It is a tiny cluster of neurons located in the hypothalamus in the brain implicated in maintaining bodily rhythms.
  • The SCn can receive information about light levels and respond to this EZ to keep the rhythm in synchrony with the environment.

  Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)