CLASS XII

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

(Research Paper)-2020/21

BIOLOGICAL
CLOCK
“OUR BODY IS A CLOCK, TIK & TOKS ARE THE BREATHS, AND OUR
SOUL IS THE BATTERY”

BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
BIRLA PUBLIC SCHOOL, DOHA-QATAR

Name : Shreya Balaji

Roll No. : 28
Class : XII D

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Index

Acknowledgement 3

Introduction 4

Types of biological rhythms 4-5

How does the body’s biological clock work? 6

Interfering with the body clock 7

How does the body clock affect symptoms 7-8

Biological rhythm disorders 8

Treatment 9

Biorhythm Theory 10

Bibliography 11

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 Acknowledgement

I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible
without the kind support and help of many individuals.

I would like to thank my principal Mr. AP Sharma and school for providing me
with the facilities required to do my project.

I am highly indebted to my biology teacher, Miss Sandhya, for her in valuable

guidance which has sustained my efforts and all the stages of this project
work.

I would also like to thank my parents for the continuous support and
encouragement.

I would like to gratefully thank lab assistant Ms. Suzy for providing me with all
the facilities and a favorable environment in the lab.

And last but not least, my thanks and appreciation also go to my fellow
classmates in developing the project add to the people who are willingly help
me out with their abilities.

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Introduction

Biological rhythms are the natural cycle of change in our body’s chemicals or functions.
They are repetitive biological processes with different frequencies. Although biologic
rhythms can be "reprogrammed" by environmental influences like when a person regularly
works the night shift and sleeps during the day, they are genetically "hard-wired" into our
cells, tissues, and organs. Medical chronobiologists have found that biologic rhythms can
affect the severity of disease symptoms, diagnostic test results, and even the body's
response to drug therapy. In short, a biological rhythm is any cyclic change in the level of a
bodily chemical or function.

Types of biological rhythms

- Circadian Rhythm
These rhythms occur once a day, i.e., they are experienced every 24-25 hours. The one
that dominates is the sleep-wake cycle that we experience everyday. When the circadian
rhythm coincides with day and night, it is known as the diurnal rhythm.

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- Ultradian Rhythm
These rhythms occur more than once day. Heartbeat and breathing are examples of
ultradian rhythms, and are affected by the sleep-wake cycle rhythms which is a circadian
rhythm, i.e., breathing and heartbeat slow down when you’re asleep. Another example of
an ultradian rhythm is the sleep cycle, which is, the cycle from drowsiness to REM (rapid
eye movement, dream sleep) to dozing, then light and deep sleep, and finally slow-wave
sleep, a 90-minute sleep cycle that repeats itself during a night's sleep.

- Infradian Rhythm
These rhythms last more than 24 hours, an example of infradian rhythm in humans is the
menstrual cycle which repeats itself every month. The circannual rhythm is an infradian
rhythm that repeats itself every year.

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How does the body's biological clock work?

The clock that controls the biological rhythm and human beans is located in the
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN is in the hypothalamus and it is a tiny cluster of
about 10,000 nerve cells located just above the crossing of the optic nerves. The
superchiasmatic nucleus. It’s connected to the retina by a pathway called the
retinohypothalamic tract. The pineal gland is a small structure found behind the
hypothalamus in humans. The retina sends the SCN information on day length, which the
SCN then interprets and passes it on to the pineal gland which secretes the hormone
melatonin in response to this information.
Nighttime causes melatonin secretion to rise while daytime inhibits it. Even when light is
absent melatonin is still released in the cyclic manner, this means that these rhythms are
self sustained that as they continue to cycle with a period of around 24 hours in the
absence of any time given cues light light from the environment. The duration of the
circadian melatonin is used by the brain to orchestrate seasonal rhythms.
On a molecular level, circadian rhythms are controlled by the feedback mechanism which
involves the cyclic changes in the expression of certain genes. The proteins encoded by
genes called CLOCK & BMAL1 switch on the activity of other genes called PER & CRY. In
turn, PER & CRY proteins turn down the activity of CLOCK and BMAL1, this creates a
recurring loop of the genes being switched on and off and this repeats approximately every
24 hours creating a cycle. This molecular feedback mechanism is present in every cell in
the body and it drives the circadian rhythm in cellular processes, metabolism, behavior and
ensures all these functions occur at the right place.
Although the circadian rhythms are self sustained, if the SCN is destroyed, circadian
rhythms disappear completely.

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Interfering with the body clock
Human beings often interfere with their own body clocks. Drinking coffee to stay awake at
night or being unable to sleep due to a sleep disorder are ways that interfere with the
sleep-wake cycle.

When people travel through multiple time zones, they may suffer from jet lag and might
need several days to adjust the sleep wake cycle to the daylight and darkness in the new
environment.

Disruption of the clock or its synchronization also occurs when people work during the
night, in fact some of the worlds most significant human errors have happened during night
shift these include the Chernobyl disaster and the Three Mile Island accident. According to
research done in Cornell University, most single driver of accidents often a good in the
time before dawn.

Another example of interference with the body clock would be narcolepsy, a condition
characterized by brief attacks of deep sleep, or some other condition that is either
congenital or symptomatic.

How does the body clock affect symptoms

Because so many of our normal body functions follow daily patterns of speeding up and
slowing down, intensifying and diminishing, in alignment with circadian rhythm.
Interestingly, so do the symptoms of a number of chronic disorders.

For example, in asthma patients, symptoms are 100 times more likely to occur in the few
hours prior to awakening than during the day.

It is well established that heart attacks are most likely to occur in the mornings and within
the first few hours of waking. One study showed that you are three times likely of suffering
a heart attack at 9am as compared to 11pm.

The body clock also affects blood pressure. Blood pressure isn't constant throughout the
day, it normally rises in the morning, remains elevated during the day and early evening,
and decreases to its lowest level during sleep, because of this, a single reading taken
during the day may not give a true picture of whether blood pressure is within the normal
range or requires treatment.

The time can also affect the way our body reacts to a drug or medicine. Investigators
working in a special area of chronobiology, called chronotherapy, are studying these
effects. Transplant patients respond better to certain drug treatments at certain times of
the year than at others.

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We already know that taking medicines ‘by the clock’ helps the medicine work better.
Doctors now prescribe medication based on the relation between the body clock and and
symptoms of illnesses. For example, doctors prescribe nighttime administration of
medication for patients with ulcer disease or asthma which worsen at night and rheumatoid
arthritis, which worsens in the early morning hours.

Biological rhythm disorders

Disruption to the circadian clock may contribute to health problems. In the long
term, repeated loss of coordination between the circadian rhythms and environmental cues
may increase the risk for a range of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain
types of cancer.

Sleep disorders like insomnia and hypersomnia and mood disorders including seasonal
affective disorder (SAD) and bipolar disorder are also due to disruption of the body’s clock.
Disorders related to biorhythms can affect a person’s mental health and have effects such
as anxiety, depression, daytime fatigue, etc.

Insomnia is the inability to go to sleep or to stay asleep, and is one of the two most
common sleep disorders, the other being hypersomnia, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
The seasonal affective disorder afflicts many people during the winter months of the year
when the days are shorter. The hormone called melatonin which is secreted from the
pineal gland affects our sleep and moods. Its greatest production is during the night and
when there is more darkness during a 24 hour period, as it is in winter, there is a tendency
for some people to become depressed.

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Treatment
Treatment for biorhythmic disorders vary and depend on the underlying cause and are
different for each disorder. For example jet lag symptoms are usually temporary and don't
need medical treatment or attention. In cases of night shift a lifestyle change may help.

For people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a light box may help. These light boxes
mimic daylight and can trigger the release of feel-good chemicals. These chemicals
promote wakefulness in the body.

When lifestyle treatments and good sleep hygiene don’t work, doctors may prescribe
medication. Although medicines are an option, they should only be taken on a short-term
basis as they can cause dependency and sleep-driving.

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Biorhythm Theory

A pseudoscientific theory claiming that our daily lives are significantly affected by 3
rhythmic cycles, that are physical, intellectual, emotional.

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Bibliography

• https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/biology-and-genetics/biology-
general/biorhythms
• https://www.healthline.com/health/biological-rhythms#selfcare
• https://www.medicinenet.com/biorhythms/article.htm
• http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/studentdownloads/DEA3250pdfs/biorhythms.pdf
• https://science.jrank.org/pages/876/Biological-Rhythms-Types-internal-clocks.html
• https://srbr.org/about-chronobiology/what-are-biological-rhythms/
• https://www.britannica.com/science/biological-rhythm
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/ultradian-
rhythm#:~:text=The%20body's%20circadian%20rhythms%20are,of%20melatonin%20sy
nthesis%20and%20secretion.
• https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/your-bodys-internal-clock-and-how-it-
affects-your-overall-health/254518/

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