Chronomorphology--today.
The present review deals with a subdiscipline of chronomorphology, viz. morphocyclicity, and outlines what progress has been made in the past and points to areas of research that appear most promising. The early years of chronomorphology were characterized by the attempt to demonstrate that a phenomenon such as morphocyclicity exists at all and how waxing and waning of morphological parameters is related to function. Later the rhythms were manipulated to study the underlying mechanisms. More recently, morphocyclic research has revealed its effectiveness as a potent research tool by demonstrating that even the circuitry and the topographical relationships in the central nervous system change in a cyclic manner. Within the biological clock system the pineal gland plays an important role. Here, ultradian, circadian and infradian rhythms interact to perhaps ensure the correct temporal integration of a variety of neuroendocrine processes.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D007700:Kinetics; D010507:Periodicity; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology; D012107:Research Design