| A | B |
|---|
| actogram | diagram showing periods of activity and rest of an organismover 24 hour periods |
| auxin | Hormone which controls directional growth in plants |
| biennial | a plant that takes 2 years to complete a growthand reproduction cycle |
| circadian | a period of activity and rest that repeats every 24 hours |
| circannual | a period of activity that occurs every year eg: migration |
| circatidal | a period of time that occurs every 12-13 hours and related to the rise and fall of sea level |
| crepuscular | an organism that is active during the periods of dawn and dusk |
| diapause | A type of hyibernation carried out by insects during which growth does not occur |
| diurnal | an organism that is active at during the day time |
| dormancy | condition of resting with minmal metabolism and general cessation of growth. |
| endogenous | stimulus originating within the external environment |
| entrainment | syncronisation of an endogenous rythm with an external cycle like light and dark |
| epiphyte | Plant which gains nutrients from the air/moisture |
| exogenous | stimulus originating in the extrenal environment |
| free running period | period of exogenous rhythm during a time when no envirnomerntal cue is given |
| heirarchy | an organisation of individuals within a group which leads to reduced aggression |
| hibernation | physiological adaptaion of some organisms to periods of prolonged cold marked by drop in temp and metabolic rate |
| homing | the ability of an organism to return to its home site after being displaced |
| hormone | a chemical signal released in one part of an organism which has an effect in another part of the organism |
| innate | a behavious which has a genetic basis (endogenus) |
| jet lag | condition caused by asynchrony between endogenous circadian rythm and the external cues usually caused by rapid displacement |
| kinesis | a non-directional response to an environmental stimulus, usually a change in the rate of motion |
| learned behaviour | behaviour which results from an enimal's experiences |
| long day plant | Plant that flowers when exposed to dark periods of less than a critical length |
| migration | where animals move from one well defined region to another, can be dispersal, return, nomadic or re- |
| nocturnal | organism that is active mainly during the night. |
| orientation response | where organisms position themselves in relation to environmental cues |
| perennial | plant that completes its growth reporduction cycle over many years |
| phase shift | shifting of period of activity from one time to another |
| photoperiod | length of light cycle or time exposed to light |
| photoperiodism | physiological reaction of plants and animals to the presence and absence of light |
| phytochrome | pigment in plants responsible for the photoperiodism effect. Regulates the timing of flowering with different effects in long day and short |
| short day plant | Plants that require a period of dark exceeding a certain length. |
| taxes | a direction response to an environmental stimulus, i.e. movement towards or away from a stimulus |
| thigmo- | a response to touch |
| torpor | state of decreased physiological activity in an animal characterised by low body temp and reduced metabolic rate |
| vernalisation | promotion of flowering by the application of a cold period. Adaptation to prevent cold damage to the flower bud |
| zeitgeber | exogenous cue that syncronises an organisms exogenous rhythm to the rythms of the environment eg: light or dark cycle |
| tropism | directional plant response |
| nastic response | non-directional plant response |
| pineal | gland responsible for control of melatonin release |
| melatonin | hormone which controls human sleep cycle |
| SCN | light receptor behind the eyes responsible for circadian rhythm in animals |
