biological clock


noun Physiology.

an innate mechanism of the body that regulates its rhythmic and periodic cycles, as that of sleeping and waking.
Also called body clock.

Origin of biological clock

First recorded in 1950–55

British Dictionary definitions for body clock

biological clock

noun

an inherent periodicity in the physiological processes of living organisms that is not dependent on the periodicity of external factors
the hypothetical mechanism responsible for this periodicity
See also circadian

Medical definitions for body clock (1 of 2)

body clock

n.

An internal mechanism of the body that is thought to regulate physical and mental functions in rhythm with normal daily activities.

Medical definitions for body clock (2 of 2)

biological clock

n.

An innate mechanism in living organisms that controls the periodicity or rhythm of various physiological functions or activities.

Scientific definitions for body clock

biological clock
[ bī′ə-lŏjĭ-kəl ]

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.

Cultural definitions for body clock

biological clock

The innate rhythm of behavior and body activity in living things. A twenty-four-hour cycle of body activity, which operates in some organisms, is called the circadian rhythm.

notes for biological clock

Although the term biological clock refers to all innate timing mechanisms, it is often used when describing certain body functions that are subject to this rhythm, such as the loss of fertility with age.