Entrainment by red light of running activity and ovulation rhythms of rats. 1980

C E McCormack, and C R Sontag

Controversy exists regarding whether or not the circadian rhythms of nocturnal rodents can be entrained by red light. Female albino rats that were free-running in continuous darkness (DD) were exposed to 2 h of red light (> 650 nm) near the beginning (dusk signals) or the end (dawn signals) of their active 12-h period of running. Red dawn signals advanced and red dusk signals delayed the onset of running on subsequent days. Because the altered onsets of running persisted in DD, the red light had produced a true entrainment of the circadian rhythm of running activity. The fact that the time of ovulation was similarly shifted by red light suggests that the circadian rhythm of luteinizing hormone secretion was also entrained by red light.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008027 Light That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared range. Light, Visible,Photoradiation,Radiation, Visible,Visible Radiation,Photoradiations,Radiations, Visible,Visible Light,Visible Radiations
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D010060 Ovulation The discharge of an OVUM from a rupturing follicle in the OVARY. Ovulations
D012160 Retina The ten-layered nervous tissue membrane of the eye. It is continuous with the OPTIC NERVE and receives images of external objects and transmits visual impulses to the brain. Its outer surface is in contact with the CHOROID and the inner surface with the VITREOUS BODY. The outer-most layer is pigmented, whereas the inner nine layers are transparent. Ora Serrata
D002940 Circadian Rhythm The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs or environmental and physiological stimuli. Diurnal Rhythm,Nyctohemeral Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythm,Nycthemeral Rhythm,Circadian Rhythms,Diurnal Rhythms,Nycthemeral Rhythms,Nyctohemeral Rhythms,Rhythm, Circadian,Rhythm, Diurnal,Rhythm, Nycthemeral,Rhythm, Nyctohemeral,Rhythm, Twenty-Four Hour,Rhythms, Circadian,Rhythms, Diurnal,Rhythms, Nycthemeral,Rhythms, Nyctohemeral,Rhythms, Twenty-Four Hour,Twenty Four Hour Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythms
D005260 Female Females
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013057 Spectrum Analysis The measurement of the amplitude of the components of a complex waveform throughout the frequency range of the waveform. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Spectroscopy,Analysis, Spectrum,Spectrometry
D051381 Rats The common name for the genus Rattus. Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus

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