Dormancy is a period in an organisms life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. This state of reduced metabolic activity is adopted by many organisms under conditions of environmental stress or, often, as in winter, when such stressful conditions are likely to appear. The purpose of dormancy is to minimize metabolic activity and conserve energy. Organisms can synchronize entry to a dormant phase with their environment through predictive or consequential means. Predictive dormancy occurs when an organism enters a dormant phase before the onset of adverse conditions, while consequential dormancy occurs when organisms enter a dormant phase after adverse conditions have arisen.
Dormancy is widely recognized as a behavioral and physiological state of both animals and plants that generally involves inactivity and reduced metabolic rate. Most major groups of animals as well as plants have some form of dormancy. Seed dormancy is a condition in which seeds are prevented from germinating even under favorable environmental conditions for germination.
In summary, dormancy is a state of reduced metabolic activity adopted by many organisms under conditions of environmental stress or as a way to conserve energy. It is a period in an organisms life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. Organisms can synchronize entry to a dormant phase with their environment through predictive or consequential means. Most major groups of animals as well as plants have some form of dormancy.
