DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CALCULATED AND REAL PHOTOPERIOD AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN CHRONOBIOLOGY

GONZÁLEZ POMA E; ATANASIO Y; BELEIZÁN F; PANTORRILLA M; ATANASIO Y, GONZÁLEZ POMA E, BELEIZÁN F, VACA, C, LARRÁN M, HERNÁNDEZ DE BORSETTI N; NANCY HERNANDEZ DE BORSETTI

BIOCELL

INST HISTOL EMBRIOL-CONICET

Año: 2018 vol. 2 p. 35 - 35

0327-9545

The field of chronobiology showed that light is the main environmental stimulus that regulates the synchronization of circadian rhythms in mammals, determining their physiology. This work is a part of the institutional project (F/B042 Secter) that studies the interaction of environmental factors with melatonin production in the province of Jujuy, from differences in solar radiation according to altitude, latitude and time of the year, in order to investigate the relationship between light, health and well-being. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between calculated and measured photoperiod in order to further investigate its influence on neuroendocrine processes. Photoperiods can be calculated for a given latitude and time of the year, or measured (real photoperiod) using a lux meter. The photoperiod was calculated for two ecoregions: Valle and Puna. San Salvador de Jujuy (Lat 24º 10?S Long 65º 11?W 1302 asl) and Puesto del Marques (Lat 22º 31?S Long 65º 42?W 3496 asl). The real photoperiod was measured with an EXTECH HD450 lux meter. There is a variation between these values of the variable. From the statistical analysis, a difference of 3.2% was determined, the measured photoperiod being higher by approximately 23 minutes due to the fact that the civil twilight (6º below the horizon) was used, which omits a portion of crepuscular light that the organisms receive, an index of 1.032 being obtained for the calculation of the real photoperiod from the estimated one. These results allow inferences to be made in various physiological studies.