Life time—circadian clocks, mitochondria and metabolism.

A functional circadian clock has long been considered a selective advantage. Accumulating evidence shows that the clock coordinates a variety of physiological processes in order to schedule them to the optimal time of day and thus to synchronize metabolism to changes in external conditions. In mitochondria, both metabolic and cellular defense mechanisms are carefully regulated. Abnormal clock function, might influence mitochondrial function, resulting in decreased fitness of an organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]