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Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is most commonly used to pass through winter months – called overwintering.
Circannual cycles can be defined by three primary characteristics: persistence in the absence of apparent time cues, the capacity for phase shifting, and stability against temperature fluctuations. [3] Classified as an infradian rhythm, it occurs less frequently than a circadian rhythm. This cycle was first discovered by Ebo Gwinner and ...
Migration of cranes. Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible.
Slowing metabolic rate to conserve energy in times of insufficient resources is the primarily noted purpose of torpor. [18] This conclusion is largely based on laboratory studies where torpor was observed to follow food deprivation. [19]
A hibernation factor is a protein used by cells to induce a dormant state by slowing or halting the cellular metabolism. [1] This can occur during periods of stress, [ 1 ] randomly in order to allocate "designated survivors" in a population, [ 1 ] or when bacteria cease growth (enter stationary phase ). [ 2 ]
Hibernation is a mechanism used by many mammals to reduce energy expenditure and survive food shortages over the winter. Hibernation may be predictive or consequential. An animal prepares for hibernation by building up a thick layer of body fat during late summer and autumn that will provide it with energy during the dormant period.
Aestivation (Latin: aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate, that is entered in response to high temperatures and arid conditions. [ 1 ]
Acclimatization occurs in a short period of time (hours to weeks), and within the organism's lifetime (compared to adaptation, which is evolution, taking place over many generations). This may be a discrete occurrence (for example, when mountaineers acclimate to high altitude over hours or days) or may instead represent part of a periodic cycle ...