Dynamic response of a circadian pacemaker

✍ Scribed by Eric L. Peterson

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 880 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0340-1200
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00453367

✦ Synopsis

The Culex circadian pacemaker's response to phase-resetting light signals was studied in the first 3 cycles of darkness following a 12h light exposure. (1) In both cycles 1 and 2 there is a clear change from "type 1" to "type 0" phase-resetting as the resetting signal is prolonged (Fig. 2). ( 2) Mosquitoes in cycle 1 are about half as sensitive to phase-resetting as those in cycles 2 or 3 (the criterion being the minimum pulse duration required to produce type 0 phase-resetting) (Fig. 2). ( 3) Each cycle appears to have a corkscrew-shaped phaseresetting surface and a phase singularity (Figs. 4, 5, and 7). The hypothesis that the Culex pacemaker reaches a stable limit cycle within the first cycle leads to an economical explanation of the results.