Chapter 10 Self-test questions

. Which of the following scholars pioneered research in chronobiology? Please select all that apply.

Jürgen Aschoff

Seymour Benzer

Erich von Holst

Colin Stephenson Pittendrigh

. An actogram is a plot of the recorded activity of an individual during a given time period.

True

False

. How can the free-running period of a mouse be determined?

Keeping the mouse under natural day/night conditions, and continuously monitoring its locomotor activity.

Keeping the mouse under LD 12:12, and continuously monitoring its locomotor activity.

Keeping the mouse under LD 8:16, and continuously monitoring its locomotor activity.

Keeping the mouse under DD, and continuously monitoring its locomotor activity.

. The following observations relate to biological clocks. Which of them is most atypical?

Under natural day/night conditions, the behavior of animals mirrors the rhythmic oscillations of the free-running period of the biological clock.

The free-running period of biological clocks is, in most cases, different from the 24h day.

The circadian rhythm of biological clocks can be synchronized to the 24h cycle of the environment by the process of entrainment.

Free-running rhythms of biological clocks are temperature compensated.

. Which of the following statements about the period (per) gene and the protein PER encoded by this gene in Drosophila is not correct?

The levels of per transcripts exhibit daily oscillations.

The PER protein regulates indirectly the expression of its own gene.

Expression of the per gene is restricted to the head region of the animal.

Mutations of the per gene lead to alterations in the timing of eclosion.

. The suprachiasmatic nucleus is the only site in the body of mammals in which clock genes are expressed.

True

False

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