Meaning & use
chronobiology
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnical
The scientific study of biological rhythms, such as sleep cycles, and how living things respond to time.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with a singular verb: Chronobiology is a growing field.
Patterns
- study chronobiology
- research in chronobiology
- a chronobiology lab
Chronobiology helps explain why teenagers often feel sleepy in the morning.
She is writing her thesis on chronobiology and shift work.
Advances in chronobiology have improved treatments for jet lag.
Common combinations
- circadian rhythm
- Chronobiology studies the circadian rhythm that controls sleep.
- biological clock
- The biological clock is a key concept in chronobiology.
- seasonal affective disorder
- Chronobiology research has shed light on seasonal affective disorder.
- shift work
- Chronobiology examines how shift work affects health.
Synonyms and how they differ
- circadian science
- A less formal term that focuses specifically on daily rhythms, whereas chronobiology covers all biological timing.
Word family
- chronobiologist noun
- A scientist who studies chronobiology.
- chronobiological adjective
- Relating to chronobiology.
Commonly confused: chronobiology or chronology? chronobiology or chronometry?
chronobiology vs chronology
Chronology is the order of events in time, while chronobiology is the study of biological timing.
chronobiology vs chronometry
Chronometry is the science of measuring time accurately, not biological rhythms.
Practice
What does chronobiology primarily study?
Choose one answer.
Chronobiology focuses on biological rhythms like sleep cycles. The history of clocks is horology, measurement of time is chronometry, and brain structure is neuroanatomy.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chronobiology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.