<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Some features of the human circadian (24 - hour) biological clock </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Frequency </Th> <Td> 24 hr </Td> </Tr> <P> A circadian rhythm (/ sɜːrˈkeɪdiən /) is any biological process that displays an endogenous, entrainable oscillation of about 24 hours . These 24 - hour rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and they have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi, and cyanobacteria . </P> <P> The term circadian comes from the Latin circa, meaning "around" (or "approximately"), and diēm, meaning "day". The formal study of biological temporal rhythms, such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology . Processes with 24 - hour oscillations are more generally called diurnal rhythms; strictly speaking, they should not be called circadian rhythms unless their endogenous nature is confirmed . </P>

Biological processes that systematically vary over a 24-hour cycle are called