Cryptobiosis

Definition

A state of an organism when it shows no visible signs of life and when its metabolic activity becomes hardly measurable, or comes reversibly to a standstill.

Etymology

From Greek 'kryptos', meaning 'hidden', and 'bios', meaning 'life'.

Example

The tardigrade enters cryptobiosis when exposed to extreme environmental conditions.

Related Terms

• Tardigrade
• Dormancy
• Survival