Surviving Adverse Conditions

Introduction

• Organisms face adverse environmental conditions that can disrupt normal metabolic activity.
• To survive such conditions, organisms have developed strategies, including dormancy.

Dormancy as a Survival Strategy

• Dormancy is a period of reduced metabolic activity, allowing organisms to conserve energy and resources.
• It is an adaptive response to extreme environmental conditions.
• During dormancy, several physiological processes slow down.

Predictive Dormancy

• Predictive dormancy occurs before the onset of adverse conditions.
• Organisms sense environmental cues and prepare for dormancy in anticipation.
• This strategy helps them avoid the harshest conditions.

Consequential Dormancy

• Consequential dormancy is initiated after the onset of adverse conditions.
• It is a reactive response when organisms cannot predict adverse conditions in advance.
• Consequential dormancy allows survival even when adverse conditions have already begun.

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Surviving Adverse conditions

Effects of Dormancy

• During dormancy, various metabolic processes decrease, including metabolic rate, heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature.
• This reduction in activity minimises energy expenditure.

Benefits of Dormancy

• Dormancy helps organisms conserve energy and resources during challenging times.
• It allows them to survive until conditions become more favourable for normal metabolic activity.