How insect body clocks work at the molecular and cellular levels

Circadian clocks are mechanisms that control rhythms with a period of approximately 24 hours in all organisms.

• Circadian rhythms fine-tune various life functions in insects based on light and temperature cycles.
• Genetic studies in fruit flies have identified several clock genes critical for the circadian clock mechanism.
• The rhythmic expression of clock genes in specific brain neurons regulates behavioral rhythms in adult flies.
• Clock genes are also found in nonneural tissues, suggesting these tissues may have intrinsic circadian clocks.
• Investigating the relationship between neural and peripheral clocks may enhance understanding of circadian system organization in insects.

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