Circadian Rhythms and the Body’s “Biological Clock”

Psychology Assignment
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Psychology Assignment
Circadian Rhythms and the Body’s “Biological Clock”
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that happen naturally following a 24-hour pattern. Different body systems are controlled by circadian rhythms that are organized by a master clock in the cerebrum. The master clock in the brain works in line with environmental signals such as light (NIGMS, n.d). Circadian rhythms affect most living things, including human beings, animals, plants, and microbes. The sleep-wake system is among the essential circadian rhythms.
Biological clocks are the natural timing tools for living things. They are built from specific molecules-proteins, which link with cells throughout the body. Nearly all tissues and organs in living things have biological clocks. The body's biological clock is run by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) part of the brain. The SCN holds cells that react to light and dark indications (Copertaro &Bracci, 2019). For example, when an individual's eyes perceive light, the retina signals the SCN, which response through hormone production and suppression, causing changes in body temperature, appetite, and sleep drive. As light increases, the individual's body temperature rises, causing the release of cortisol, which makes an individual alert, making them wake up (Coperato &Bracci, 2019). Contrary, as darkness approaches, melatonin levels rise, and body temperature lowers, which promotes sleep. A disruption in the normal functioning of the biological clock makes it difficult to maintain a normal circadian rhythm, which often results in sleeping problems such as struggling to fall asleep or waking up at night. This could lead to signs of depression and anxiety.
The Basic Processes of Sensation and Perception, How the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies Applies to Perception, and How Synesthesia Contributes to Our Understanding of Sensory Modalities.
The sensation is the activity of receiving information from the surrounding through the sensory organs. Sensory receptors are the specific neurons, which play the role of responding to particular types of stimuli. Sensation occurs when sensory receptors recognize sensory information (Dumper et al., n.d). For instance, when light enters the eye, it triggers chemical alterations in the cells lining the back of the eye, which then relay information in the form of actions potentials to the central nervous system (CNS). Transduction represents the initial step towards perception. It is the conversation from the sensory stimulus energy to the action potential. Sensations allow organisms to visualize, hear, smell, taste, and touch. In addition, some sensory systems give information regarding body balance, position, temperature, pain and discomfort, and motion.
Perception describes how the received information is translated and organized for better understanding and proper reactions (Foley & Bates, 2019). Sensations are only useful after organisms add meaning to them, enabling organisms to create perceptions of the sensations. For instance, a sensation would allow an individual to hear...