Sunday Word: Cryptobiosis
cryptobiosis [krip-toh-bahy-oh-sis]
noun:
the reversible cessation of metabolism under extreme environmental conditions (as low temperature)
Examples:
"If you pour water on someone who has just died from dehydration, they will not sit up. But if you pour water on a dried-out tardigrade, in a matter of minutes it becomes a moving, feeding, reproducing animal." Known as 'cryptobiosis', this is a third state, between life and death. (P D Smith, Life's Edge by Carl Zimmer review - what does it mean to be alive?, The GuardianAugust 2021)
For the sake of their study, the team considered how the NASA Starlight program could enable interstellar biological studies using radiation-tolerant microorganisms capable of cryptobiosis. (Matt Williams, Will Water Bears be the First Interstellar Astronauts?, University Today, November 2021)
The microscopic organisms can go without water and oxygen for long periods of time in a state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis, in which their bodies dry up and their metabolisms shut down. (Aylin Woodward, There Could Be a Bunch of Tardigrades Alive on The Moon Right Now, Science Alert, August 2021)
The animal was named the multicellular animal, yes it was brought from this animal generation. It could live a maximum of 10,000 thousand years in cryptobiosis. (Aygen Marsh, Arctic Mysterious animal called “Wheel animalcule” present in 24,000 years in Siberian permafrost, Amico Hoops, June 2021)
Origin:
1920s (denoting the practice of living in concealed habitats): from crypto- 'concealed, secret' + Greek biōsis 'mode of life' (from bios ‘life’). (Lexico)