dormantes

Dormantes refer to organisms, cells, or structures that are in a state of dormancy. Dormancy is a reversible reduction of metabolic activity that enables survival during unfavorable conditions. Dormancy can involve seeds, buds, spores, cysts, or entire life stages. It is regulated by genetic programs and environmental cues, and can be endogenous or triggered by external factors such as temperature, moisture, light, and nutrient status.

In plants, seed dormancy prevents germination until conditions are favorable. Dormancy types include physiological dormancy, where internal inhibitors prevent germination; physical dormancy, where a hard seed coat blocks water uptake; and combinational dormancy. Breaking dormancy often requires stratification (cold treatment), after-ripening, scarification, or exposure to light cues, depending on species.

Bud dormancy in perennial plants is a mechanism to align growth with seasons; chilling accumulates a dormancy depth that must be overcome before bud break in spring. In addition, fungal spores and bacterial endospores can enter dormant states to endure desiccation, heat, or nutrient limitation, resuming activity when conditions improve.

In animals, diapause is a regulated form of dormancy seen in many insects, crustaceans, and some vertebrates, enabling survival across seasons or reproductive cycles. Quiescence or torpor are related but distinct states where metabolic rate drops in response to immediate conditions and is reversible without an organized developmental program.

Dormancy has ecological importance for population dynamics and seed banks, and practical implications for agriculture, conservation, and disease management. Research on dormancy focuses on hormonal controls, signaling pathways, and environmental triggers that govern entry and exit from dormancy.