Within molecular and cell biology, temporal feedback, also referred to as interlinked or interlocked feedback, is a biological regulatory motif in which fast and slow positive feedback loops are interlinked to create "all or none" switches. This interlinking produces separate, adjustable activation and de-activation times. This type of feedback is thought to be important in cellular processes in which an "all or none" decision is a necessary response to a specific input. The mitotic trigger, polarization in budding yeast, mammalian calcium signal transduction, EGF receptor signaling, platelet activation, and Xenopus oocyte maturation are examples for interlinked fast and slow multiple positive feedback systems.
In biological systems, temporal feedback is a ubiquitous signal transduction motif that allows systems to convert graded inputs into decisive, all-or-none digital outputs. A system with interlinked fast and slow feedback loops produces a dual-time switch, which is rapidly inducible and robust to noise during stimulus. In contrast, a single fast or slow loop is separately responsible for the speed of switching and the stability of switches. Computer simulation studies have shown that linking two loops of the same kind brings no overall advantage over having a single loop, however the dual-loop switch performs in a monostable regime. Both single and dual loops can behave as a bistable switch.  Several computational models have been produced to demonstrate the responses of single and dual positive feedback loop switches to stimuli.