Your Body Has Multiple Clocks: Central and Peripheral Circadian Systems
Does Your Body Have Just One Internal Clock or Multiple Clocks?
Your body contains multiple circadian clocks—a central master clock in the brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) plus peripheral clocks in virtually every organ and tissue throughout your body. This distributed network of biological timekeepers works together to coordinate daily rhythms in physiology and behavior. The central clock acts as the conductor of this biological orchestra, synchronizing peripheral clocks through neural, hormonal, and behavioral signals to maintain optimal timing of cellular processes, metabolism, and organ function throughout the 24-hour cycle.