biological clock (redirected from Zeitgeber)

biological clock

n.

1. An internal mechanism in organisms that controls the periodicity of various functions or activities, such as metabolic changes, sleep cycles, or photosynthesis.

2. The progression or time period from puberty to menopause, marking a woman's ability to bear children.

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biological clock

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) an inherent periodicity in the physiological processes of living organisms that is not dependent on the periodicity of external factors

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) the hypothetical mechanism responsible for this periodicity See also circadian

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biological clock  (b-lj-kl)

An internal system that controls an organism's circadian rhythms, the cycles of behavior that occur regularly in a day. In mammals, the biological clock is located near the point in the brain where the two optic nerves cross. In many birds, the biological clock is located in the pineal gland. In protists and fungi, the individual cells themselves regulate circadian rhythms.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

biological clock - an innate mechanism in living organisms that controls the periodicity of many physiological functions mechanism - a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function; "the mechanism of the ear"; "the mechanism of infection"

Translations

biological clock

n → biologische Uhr

biological clock n → orologio biologico