Do potatoes possess a biological clock?

If not, how come they know to sprout in the spring? Sitting in the bottom of my veggie drawer, hob nobbing with the onions, kept at room temperature, in the dark, no contact with the soil, my super market potatoes know it's spring and sprout furiously.
If yes, how does it work? I mean these are potatoes. I can slice 'em and dice 'em and never does the knife disclose anything other than potato.