cryptobiosis

British  

/ ˌkrɪptəʊbaɪˈəʊsɪs /

noun

1. zoology a temporary state in an organism in which metabolic activity is absent or undetectable

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Example Sentences

Water bears usually enter cryptobiosis in response to facing what other organisms might consider a harsh environment.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2024

But before this, the longest a nematode had been known to survive through cryptobiosis was about 25 years.

From NewsForKids.net • Aug. 10, 2023

The roughly millimeter-long worms were able to resist extreme low temperatures by entering a dormant state called cryptobiosis, a process researchers at the institute have been trying to understand.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2023

During the analyses, the researchers also looked for genes that the common C. elegans is known to use when a particular form of that worm, called the dauer larva, goes into the dormancy of cryptobiosis.

From Scientific American • Jul. 27, 2023

Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are able to adapt to extreme environments because of a process called cryptobiosis.

From National Geographic • Aug. 2, 2016