Biological rhythms, such as the sleep-wake cycle or circadian clock, are an intriguing aspect of biology. This book describes and evaluates studies in this field and discusses the investigations done on rhythmic biology, including genetic and molecular approaches used on other insect species. It highlights the mystery of the "clock mechanism".

Introduction; Mutants Used to Identify Cells and Tissues that Mediate Inputs to Circadian Pacemakers in Drosophila; Mutatants Apparently Defective in Central-Pacemaking Functions Underlying Drosophila's Circadian Rhythmicity; Additional Mutants Found in Screen for Rhythm Variants; Additional Mutants with Defects in Daily Cycles and other Time-Based Phenotypes; Molecular Genetics of Central-Pacemaking Functions; Places and Times of Clock-Gene Expressions; Natural Variants of Clock Genes, Including Interspecific Studies; Temperature Changes and how Clock-Gene Products are Involved in Compensating for Them; Molecular Genetics of Clock Re-Setting by Environmental Stimuli; Gene-Defined Functions Connecting Central Pacemaking to Circadian Chronobiology; Conclusion

Discusses rhythm genetics in insects, from early investigations to current state-of-the-art Presents all relevant mutants and genes Highlights the mystery of the "clock mechanism" in full detail including the remaining puzzles to be solved