Date of Award

1-1-2013

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Content Description

1 electronic text (xi, 80 pages) : PDF file, illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Helmut Hirsch

Committee Members

Bernard Possidente, Helen Ghiradella, Greg Lnenicka

Keywords

Behavior, Circadian, Drosophila melanogaster, Light, Masking, Skeleton Photoperiod, Circadian rhythms, Sleep-wake cycle, Photoperiodism

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

As organisms evolved, so did mechanisms for synchronizing behavior to the environmental light-dark cycle. Two main mechanisms provide this link: the synchronization of an endogenous circadian oscillator with the exogenous environment (entrainment), and a process called "masking", which functions independently from the circadian clock. Organisms have evolved these endogenous and exogenous mechanisms to adapt to the light-dark cycle of their niches in order to integrate their behavioral and physiological responses with predictable changes in their environments, in this case changes involving the daily light-dark cycle.

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