TY - CHAP
T1 - The Mammalian Neural Circadian System
T2 - From Molecules to Behaviour
AU - Otalora, Beatriz Bano
AU - Piggins, Hugh
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Circadian rhythms pervade all aspects of mammalian physiology and behaviour, providing a near 24h temporal architecture in all major brain and body systems. Chronobiology research has focused on nocturnal laboratory rodent models and this has yielded valuable insight into the neural basis of circadian timekeeping. This has identified the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) as the dominant circadian pacemaker and characterized its neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and potential mechanisms of behavioural control. However, nocturnality is only one of four possible temporal niches, and understanding of the neural circadian system in diurnal, crepuscular, and cathemeral mammalian species is very much in its infancy. In this chapter, we review the fundamental properties of the neural circadian system in nocturnal rodents and then compare this with what is known about neural timekeeping in diurnal species. Through this, we identify gaps in our knowledge and key problems to investigate in order to have a more complete understanding of circadian control of behaviour and physiology, particularly with regards to temporal niche preference.
AB - Circadian rhythms pervade all aspects of mammalian physiology and behaviour, providing a near 24h temporal architecture in all major brain and body systems. Chronobiology research has focused on nocturnal laboratory rodent models and this has yielded valuable insight into the neural basis of circadian timekeeping. This has identified the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) as the dominant circadian pacemaker and characterized its neurophysiology, neurochemistry, and potential mechanisms of behavioural control. However, nocturnality is only one of four possible temporal niches, and understanding of the neural circadian system in diurnal, crepuscular, and cathemeral mammalian species is very much in its infancy. In this chapter, we review the fundamental properties of the neural circadian system in nocturnal rodents and then compare this with what is known about neural timekeeping in diurnal species. Through this, we identify gaps in our knowledge and key problems to investigate in order to have a more complete understanding of circadian control of behaviour and physiology, particularly with regards to temporal niche preference.
UR - https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-mammalian-neural-circadian-system(a5e21c0a-dff7-4ea0-895b-3592297eec1f).html
U2 - 10.1007/978-81-322-3688-7_12
DO - 10.1007/978-81-322-3688-7_12
M3 - Chapter in a book
SN - 9788132236863
T3 - Biological Timekeeping
SP - 257
EP - 275
BT - Biological Timekeeping
PB - Springer India
ER -