Learn about the diurnal and nocturnal rhythms of various organisms with these flash cards for biological clocks.
There are 18 flash cards in this set (3 pages to print.)
To use:
1. Print out the cards.
2. Cut along the dashed lines.
3. Fold along the solid lines.
Sample flash cards in this set:
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Circadian | A rhythm with a period of approx. 24 hours |
| Circatidal | A rhythm with a period of approx. 12.5 hours |
| Circannual | A rhythm with a period of approx. 365 days |
| Free Running | Describes when the biological clock has no environmental cues |
| Biological Clock | An internal timing mechanism |
| Daily/yearly Pattern | Behaviours we see daily/yearly that are linked to changes in the environment |
| Rhythm Period | The length of a cycle of activity when under constant environmental conditions |
| Zeitgeber | German for 'time giver'; this resets a biological clock and keeps the activity entrained to changes in the environment |
| SDP (short-day plant) | A plant that is initiated to flower when nights are longer than a critical length |
| LDP (long-day plants) | A plant that is initiated to flower when nights are shorter than a critical length |
| Exogenous | Externally controlled |
| Endogenous | Internally controlled |
| Entrainment | The process by which the biological clock is kept in check with the environment; it is entrained with a zeitgeber |
| Phytochrome | A pigment that is involved in flowering |
| Phase Shift | When the start of the activity cycle has changed time |
| Circalunar | A rhythm with a period of approx. 29.5 days |
| Environmental Cue | A cue that gives an organism information on the time, resetting the biological clock |
| Vernalisation | "chilling" period of seeds to accelerate flowering after planting |
