Circadian rhythms in stem cell biology and function

The mammalian circadian clock is a time-keeping system that adapts the body physiology to light/dark cycles with a period of 24 hours. It consists of a central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) within the brain, and peripheral clocks in multiple other tissues. While the central clock is entrained by light, peripheral clocks are kept in synchrony by the SCN via humoral factors, metabolites and body temperature. Additionally, SCN independent determinants like food and physical activity influence peripheral clocks that can therefore oscillate in a cell-autonomous manner.