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Zeitgebers, Entrainment, and Masking: Some Unsettled Questions

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Book cover Vertebrate Circadian Systems

Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

To be of full functional significance for the organism, circadian rhythms have to be synchronized to the 24-h day. This is done by response to periodic signals from the environment, the Zeitgebers (Pittendrigh 1981). The entrained state is characterized by a stable phase angle difference ψ between rhythm and Zeitgeber; sign and amount of ψ depend on the period τ of the rhythm (as measured in constant conditions) and on the period T of the Zeitgeber. Furthermore, circadian systems can be entrained to periods deviating from 24 h only within certain limits (Aschoff and Pohl 1978).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-8138, Andechs, Germany

    J. Aschoff

  2. Zoological Laboratory, Groningen University, Haren, Netherlands

    S. Daan

  3. Department of Physiology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, 060, Japan

    K.-I. Honma

Authors
  1. J. Aschoff
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  2. S. Daan
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  3. K.-I. Honma
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-8138, Andechs, Germany

    Jürgen Aschoff

  2. Zoologisch Laboratorium, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Kerklaan 30, NL-Haren, The Netherlands

    Serge Daan

  3. National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20205, USA

    Gerard A. Groos

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© 1982 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg

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Aschoff, J., Daan, S., Honma, KI. (1982). Zeitgebers, Entrainment, and Masking: Some Unsettled Questions. In: Aschoff, J., Daan, S., Groos, G.A. (eds) Vertebrate Circadian Systems. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68651-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68651-1_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-68653-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68651-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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