Support endogenous or Research Explain what the research shows

exogenous control?
The importance of the SCN has Decoursey and Krulas (1998) found that This research demonstrates the significance
been demonstrated in research. chipmunks that had their endogenous clock of the SCN and how endogenous pacemakers
surgically damaged, lost their normal rest-activity are important for biological circadian
cycle, and were more prone to predation in the rhythms.
wild.

There is research support for
the role of exogenous
zeitgebers.
Siffre (1972 and onwards) 7 months
underground in a cave with no cues of light,
temperature or social contact.
Regular cycles remained, but 24hr. cycle
lengthened to about 25 hr.
This suggests that his 24-hour sleep-wake
cycle was increased by the lack of external
cues, making him believe one day was longer
than it was. This highlights the impact of
external factors on bodily rhythms.

Supports the role of the SCN in
the sleep-wake cycle.
Morgan (1955) bred hamsters so that they had This suggests that the SCN alone has a strong
circadian rhythms of 20 hours rather than 24. regulatory effect on the sleep-wake cycle
SCN neurons from these abnormal hamsters
were transplanted into the brains of normal
hamsters, which subsequently displayed the
same abnormal circadian rhythm of 20 hours,
showing that the transplanted SCN had imposed
its pattern onto the hamsters.

Support for the role of light in Skene and Arendt (2007) claimed that the This demonstrates the importance of
entraining the sleep-wake cycle. majority of blind people who still have some light exogenous zeitgebers as a biological
perception have normal circadian rhythms mechanism and their impact on biological
whereas those without any light perception show circadian rhythms.
abnormal circadian rhythms.