释义 |
biological clock
biological clockn.1. An internal mechanism in organisms that controls the periodicity of various functions or activities, such as metabolic changes, sleep cycles, or photosynthesis.2. a. The time period during which a person who desires to have a biological child, especially a woman approaching the decline of reproductive capability, is still able to do so.b. The capacity to be fertile, especially in such a woman: She was eager to have a child before her biological clock stopped working.biological clock n 1. (Biology) an inherent periodicity in the physiological processes of living organisms that is not dependent on the periodicity of external factors 2. (Biology) the hypothetical mechanism responsible for this periodicity biolog′ical clock′ n. 1. an innate mechanism of the body that regulates its rhythmic and periodic cycles, as that of sleeping and waking. 2. such a mechanism perceived as inexorably marking the passage of one's youth and esp. one's ability to bear children. [1950–55] bi·o·log·i·cal clock (bī′ə-lŏj′ĭ-kəl) An internal system of organisms that controls the cycle of various functions, such as sleep cycles in mammals and photosynthesis in plants. See Note at circadian rhythm.ThesaurusNoun | 1. | biological clock - an innate mechanism in living organisms that controls the periodicity of many physiological functionsmechanism - a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function; "the mechanism of the ear"; "the mechanism of infection" | Translationsbiological clock
biological clock: see rhythm, biologicalrhythm, biological, or biorhythm, cyclic pattern of physiological changes or changes in activity in living organisms, most often synchronized with daily, monthly, or annual cyclical changes in the environment. ..... Click the link for more information. .biological clock[¦bī·ə¦läj·ə·kəl ′kläk] (physiology) Any physiologic factor that functions in regulating body rhythms. biological clock1. an inherent periodicity in the physiological processes of living organisms that is not dependent on the periodicity of external factors 2. the hypothetical mechanism responsible for this periodicity biological clock
biological [bi″o-loj´ĭ-k'l] 1. pertaining to biology.2. a medicinal preparation made from living organisms and their products, such as a serum or vaccine.biological clock the physiologic mechanism that governs the rhythmic occurrence of certain biochemical, physiologic, and behavioral phenomena in living organisms. See also rhythms" >biological rhythms.biological clockn.1. An internal mechanism in organisms that controls the periodicity of various functions or activities, such as metabolic changes, sleep cycles, or photosynthesis.2. a. The time period during which a person who desires to have a biological child, especially a woman approaching the decline of reproductive capability, is still able to do so.b. The capacity to be fertile, especially in such a woman: She was eager to have a child before her biological clock stopped working.Physiology An organism’s internal timer that sets biological rhythms—e.g., metabolism, sleep-wake cycles, and photosynthesis Vox populi As currently used, that which ticks away the time left for a woman to have babies, ideally before age 40biological clock or internal clock an internal mechanism (as yet poorly understood) by which many plants and animals keep a sense of time, making possible a rhythmic pattern of behavour. Many organisms have such ‘clocks’ producing activity cycles of approximately 24 hours (CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS) which, however, can be affected by external influences that ‘set’ the clock (entrainment). An individual's clock can be re-entrained if placed in a new time zone, but after rapid, long-distance travel the process can take several cycles, creating ‘jet-lag’ until internal and external rhythms are synchronized. Biological clocks affect not only whole organism activities (e.g. sleeping) but also cellular patterns of activity (e.g. varying METABOLIC RATES). See also DIURNAL RHYTHM.Biological clockA synonym for the body's circadian rhythm, the natural biological variations that occur over the course of a day.Mentioned in: Cluster Headachebiological clock Related to biological clock: circadian rhythmWords related to biological clocknoun an innate mechanism in living organisms that controls the periodicity of many physiological functionsRelated Words |