Neurobiology of Circadian Rhythms in Mammals

Abstract

The discovery in 1972 that the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a major component of the multioscillatory circadian system in mammals provided biologists with a focal point for the study of the neural basis of circadian rhythms. Although the SCN's precise role in the generation of circadian rhythms is still not understood, recent studies of this nucleus have laid the groundwork for the eventual elucidation of the neural basis for: the generation of circadian signals, the interaction of circadian oscillators, the regulation of circadian oscillators by internal and external environmental factors, and the regulation of the temporal pattern of a variety of cellular, physiological, and behavioral events by circadian pacemaking units in mammals.