Circadian rhythmicity is a fundamental property of the
majority of organisms, including bacteria, unicellular eukaryotes,
fungi, plants and animals. It is generated by cellular oscillators
and may have evolved to cope with adverse phases in the cycle
of a day that bear the risk of damage by radiation and reactive
metabolites, such as free radicals. In a complex organism like the
human, the circadian system is composed of numerous, internally
communicating, oscillators including a coordinating master clock,
the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) [1]. It provides a program for
structuring countless physiological functions in a sophisticated
temporal pattern that optimizes the alignment of processes and
also the anticipation of regularly expectable changes, such as an
approaching time of arousal and locomotor activity, of food intake
and even social interactions.
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