cryptobiosis

cryp·to·bi·o·sis

 (krĭp′tō-bī-ō′sĭs)

n.

A dormant state induced by unfavorable environmental conditions such as high or low temperature, reduced oxygen, or drought, in which an organism's metabolic activity is reduced to an imperceptible level.

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cryp′to·bi·ot′ic (-ŏt′ĭk) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cryptobiosis

(ˌkrɪptəʊbaɪˈəʊsɪs)

n

(Zoology) zoology a temporary state in an organism in which metabolic activity is absent or undetectable

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cryptobiosis

Medicine. a state in which the signs of life of an organism have weakened to the point where they are barely measurable or no longer measurable. — cryptobiotic, adj.

See also: Biology

-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

cryptobiosis - a state in which an animal's metabolic activities come to a reversible standstill physical condition, physiological condition, physiological state - the condition or state of the body or bodily functions

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