Maternal Coordination of the Fetal Biological Clock in Utero

Abstract

Deoxyglucose labeled with carbon-14 was used in studying the utilization of glucose in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of fetal rats. The results showed that an entrainable circadian clock is present in the suprachiasmatic nuclei during fetal development and that the maternal circadian system coordinates the phase of the fetal clock to environmental lighting conditions.