The Circadian Rhythm Effect Essay Example

The Circadian Rhythm Effect Essay Example The Circadian Rhythm Effect Essay The Circadian Rhythm Effect Essay Jorge Lozano Introduction Almost all living things have a normal daily cycle they adhere to. It usually relates to the pattern developed by a function of time in relation to behavioral and physiological processes. Circadian rhythm in all mammals is a process that describes our inner master â€Å"clock† and our daily functionality. â€Å"Circadian timing is structured in such a way as to receive information from the external and internal environments, and its function is the timing organization of the physiological and behavioral processes in a circadian pattern (1)†. With the 24 hour cycle put in use we determine the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals. Since the circadian rhythm is such a vital function for our biological well being it is highly important to study and document both the internal and external processes that directly effect it. Our main objective in researching this was to determine if the relationship between biological functions relate to our normal daily activity period. We hypothesized that during our normal rest period we reach a nadir or low point of functionality while during our normal activity period we reach our zenith or high point. Materials and Methods In order to collect the necessary data, we took measurements of heart rate, adding speed, eye-hand coordination, and eye-hand coordination number of trials with mistakes. Measurements were taken at 12 time points throughout a 24-hour period over a 7-day period. The tests were taken by individual students with the sample size being the students of the Biology lab 155 class roster . At various hour intervals a 1 minute heart beat rate measurement is taken. The cognitive test is taking a measurement of adding speed. This is done by timing how fast the test subject is able to add a line of numbers. The motor coordination test is eye-hand coordination, with time and number of trials documented. The eye-hand test is taken by timing the process of thumb to each finger on one hand. The data collected individually is grouped together with all students and averaged out by test within an excel spreadsheet to determine if any significant data was collected. This analysis of collected data will show whether there is a difference in the effect of circadian rhythms within various hours and days. Results Results were produced by using average results from the Biology 155 sections 4 11 student roster. Regarding pulse rates in beats per minute, the trend is to have the lowest value early in the morning and the highest value in the afternoon. Graph1 demonstrates the beats per minute average when compared to the hour of day. The results show that at 6am the low value average of 68. 27 heart beats per minute while the highest value of 80. 40 beats measured at 6pm. The trend shows that there is a gradual increase as the day progresses. Also that within the mid-day hours of 12pm to 2pm (graph 1) there is a drop in heart rate. The addition speed test results show a minimal increase in adding speed throughout the day. Graph 2 displays the speed in seconds based on hour of day. The results show that at both 2am and 4am the average speed was slowest with 82. 07 seconds. The average fastest speed is 62 seconds taken at the 8pm hour. The trend shows that student adding speed increases throughout the day. The eye-hand coordination test results displayed in Graph 3 compare the number of seconds it takes to count with fingers compared to the hour of day. The resulting trend demonstrates that eye-hand coordination increases from morning to evening. At 4am the results show the slowest speed of 12. 86 seconds while the fastest speed of 7. 8 seconds occurs at 6pm. Graph 4 displays the number of trials with mistakes made during the eye-hand coordination test as compared to the hour of day. The trend shows that there are numerous changes in amount of trials throughout the day. The amount of trials made with mistakes is highest at 4am with 1. 13 trials taken and the lowest amount at both 8am and 8pm. Graph 1 Graph 2 Graph 3 Graph 4 Discussion The results from our tests concurred with the results from the five sources researched. Our peak optimal hours for memory, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination are during peak activity hours of the day. Each person has a circadian rhythm they develop which directly effects the sleeping pattern and daily activities. The circadian rhythm adjusts the body to coordinate various physiological activities. â€Å"The findings of a 24 hour period on every day could be an example associated with. a rhythm which can be caused by exogenous factors † (3). Some of the exogenous factors that effect the results are sleep hours, stress levels, and daily activities. These can be seen within the graphs taking into consideration the â€Å"normal† sleeping hours for the test subjects. â€Å"There was a significant correlation between the rhythms at zero phase shift† (6), which we can see from our graph results, with â€Å"sleep and illumination†(6) being a large factor throughout our four tests. Our test results conclude that our body is running on a circadian rhythm with multiple factors in our day to day lives effecting our â€Å"bodily programming† which in turn allow us to function at either our peak levels or our slowest levels. The data underscore the interrelationships between energy metabolism, circadian rhythmicity, and sleep regulation†. (2) The mind and motor skills are in the reactionary chain of chemical levels within our body that are enhanced or decreased by various effectors but which are developed into a rhythm that we become adjusted to.