"Word clock" in physics or biology?

There is a device in audio technology called word clock. It basically keeps all digital audio devices in a network in sync, so no information can fall through the cracks and get lost. Here is the wicki entry:

A word clock or wordclock (sometimes sample clock, which can have a broader meaning) is a clock signal (not the actual device) used to synchronise other devices, such as digital audio tape machines and compact disc players, which interconnect via digital audio. S/PDIF, AES/EBU, ADAT, TDIF and other formats use a word clock. Various audio over Ethernet protocols use broadcast packets for the word clock. The device which maintains the word clock on a network is the master clock.

Now, I'm wondering if the equivalent of a "word clock" exists in physics or biology? An atom or molecule could be looked at as a "package of information". For it to interact and communicate without possibly losing information, something should be the master clock in the system.

Is there such a concept that I'm not aware of? It seems to me that biological and even quantum events need to be synced by something.

I'm looking forward to your replies.

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