The process associated with the circulation of this substance through the hydrosphere is called the water cycle.
From the Latin cyclus , a cycle is a certain period of time that, once completed, begins again. It is also about the sequence of stages that an event with periodic characteristics goes through and the group of phenomena that are reiterated in a certain order.
An economic cycle , for example, consists of a period of rise (economic activity increases) followed by a period of decline (indicators fall) that leads to a stage of recession. Upon reaching a certain floor, reactivation begins and the ascending period returns. These economic cycles are characteristic of the capitalist economy .
Different types of cycles
The process through which water circulates through the hydrosphere is known as the water cycle . The heat causes surface water to evaporate and condense, forming clouds. With precipitation (such as rain), the water returns to the ocean and the cycle begins again.
The menstrual cycle or female sexual cycle , for its part, is the process by which the eggs develop and changes are generated in the body that allow a pregnancy to be possible. The cycle begins with the first day of menstruation and ends the day before the start of the next menstruation.
For physics , the cycle of a wave is the smallest distance that exists before said wave repeats itself. The cycle, therefore, depends on the wavelength.
A cycle, on the other hand, is known as a series of activities or events that have a thematic connection : "I am going to attend a series of conferences on Uruguayan colonial history," "My boss asked me to organize a cycle to present the company news » .
The menstrual cycle is linked to the development of the eggs and the changes that occur in the female body to make pregnancy possible.
The term in computing
In computing, one cycle of the central processing unit (CPU) is equal to one electromagnetic pulse that is generated by the quartz oscillator; The rhythm of these pulses, which is constant, determines the speed at which the processor operates.
It is often believed that it is enough to know this value to know how efficient a certain piece of equipment is, and nothing could be further from the truth; There are tons of other variables where attention should be focused, such as operating system and hardware architecture, that can make a really significant difference.
The circadian cycle
From bacteria to humans, including all living organisms, there is a biological clock that is responsible for controlling a long list of biochemical functions called cycle fluctuations, such as behavior and sleep, which are grouped into the called circadian rhythms.
Different organisms have in common a series of molecular mechanisms to process light in the day-night cycle, through photosensitive molecules (photoreceptors) that serve as intermediaries between environmental factors and the circadian clock . Given that studies have been carried out on many species, both plants and animals, and the same results have been obtained, it is believed to be correct to say that throughout its evolution part of the light metabolism has been conserved.
Despite having made many advances in the plant kingdom, the so-called circadian gene has not yet been discovered in humans; Scientists say that when they access it, they will be able to manipulate many aspects of our physiology , such as the sleep cycle. But this possibility is not the only reason for interest in this topic, but its study can bring us closer to knowing more in depth the genetics of many species that are different at first glance and that have evolved independently, but that share more similarities than previously thought. .