NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Cryptobiosis

Cryptobiosis is an ametabolic state of life entered by some lower organisms in response to adverse environmental conditions such as desiccation, freezing, and oxygen deficiency. In the cryptobiotic state, all metabolic procedures stop, preventing reproduction, development, and repair. An organism in a cryptobiotic state can essentially live indefinitely until environmental conditions return to being hospitable. When this occurs, the organism will return to its metabolic state of life as it was prior to the cryptobiosis. In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way that they function as a more or less stable whole. ... Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. ... In physics and chemistry, freezing is the process of cooling a liquid to the temperature (called freezing point) where it turns solid. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ... In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way that they function as a more or less stable whole. ... In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way that they function as a more or less stable whole. ... Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) in his steelyard balance, from Ars de statica medecina, first published 1614 Metabolism (from Î¼ÎµÏ„Î±Î²Î¿Î»Î¹ÏƒÎ¼Î¿Ï‚ (metabolismos)) is the biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms anggjgjhnd cell (b). ...

1 Forms of cryptobiosis
2 Examples
3 See also
4 External links
5 Further reading

Forms of cryptobiosis

There are several forms of cryptobiosis. These are outlined below.

Anhydrobiosis

Anhydrobiosis is the most studied form of cryptobiosis and occurs in situations of extreme desiccation. The term anhydrobiosis derives from the Greek for "life without water" and is most commonly used for the desiccation tolerance observed in certain invertebrate animals such as bdelloid rotifers, tardigrades, brine shrimps and nematodes. However, other life forms, including resurrection plants, the majority of plant seeds, and many micro-organisms such as bakers' yeast, also exhibit desiccation tolerance. Invertebrates undergoing anhydrobiosis often contract into a smaller shape and some proceed to form a sugar called trehalose. Desiccation tolerance in plants is associated with the production of another sugar, sucrose. These sugars are thought to protect the organism from desiccation damage, and studies have shown that anhydrobiotic organisms can survive for decades in the dry state. In some creatures, such as bdelloid rotifers, no trehalose has been found, which has led scientists to propose other mechanisms of anhydrobiosis. Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. ... Electron Micrograph of a Tardigrade Classes Heterotardigrada Mesotardigrada Eutardigrada Tardigrades (Tardigrada), or water bears, are a phylum of small, segmented animals, similar and related to the Arthropods. ... Species Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a type of aquatic crustacean. ... Magnified crystals of refined sugar In general use, non-scientists take sugar to mean sucrose, also called table sugar or saccharose, a white crystalline solid disaccharide. ... Trehalose also known as mycose is a 1-alpha (disaccharide) sugar found extensively but not abundantly in nature. ...

A new application, 2004, of anhydrobiosis is being applied to vaccines. The process allows some organisms to survive dried-up by replacing water with a sugar solution that keeps cells in a state of suspended animation until rehydration occurs. In vaccines, the process can produce a dry vaccine that reactivates once it is injected into the body. In theory, dry-vaccine technology could be used on any vaccine, including live vaccines such as the one for measles. It could also potentially be adapted to allow a vaccine's slow release, eliminating the need for boosters. This proposes to eliminate the need for refrigerating vaccines, thus making dry vaccines more widely available throughout the developing world where refrigeration, electricity, and proper storage are less accessible. (source BBC News: [1] )

Anoxybiosis

Anoxybiosis isn't considered a form of cryptobiosis by some. It takes place in situations lacking oxygen, and involves the organism intaking water and becoming turgid and immobile. Studies of the survival rates of organisms during anoxybiosis have given conflicting results. General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ...

Chemobiosis

The cryptobiotic response to high levels of environmental toxins.

Cryobiosis

Cryobiosis is a form of cryptobiosis that takes place in reaction to decreased temperature. To initiate cryobiosis, the organism freezes all of the water within its cells. This allows the organism to endure the freezing temperatures until more hospitable conditions return. Studies have shown that the longer an organism remains in cryobiosis, the longer it takes for the organism to come out of cryobiosis. This is because the organism must use its own energy to come out of cryobiosis, and the longer it stays in cryobiosis the less energy it has. Temperature is also the name of a song by Sean Paul. ...

Osmobiosis

Osmobiosis is the least studied of the four types of cryptobiosis. Osmobiosis occurs in response to increased solute concentration in the solution the organism lives in. Not much is known for sure, other than that osmobiosis appears to involve a cessation of metabolism. A substance is soluble in a fluid if it dissolves in the fluid. ...

Examples

The most commonly known organism which undergoes cryptobiosis is the tardigrade, or water bear. It is the most studied as well, partially because it can undergo all five types of cryptobiosis. While in this state their metabolism lowers to less than 0.01% of what is normal and their water content can drop to 1% of normal. They can withstand extreme temperature, radiation, and pressure while in a cryptobiotic state. In biology and ecology, an organism (in Greek organon = instrument) is a living complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way that they function as a more or less stable whole. ... Classes Heterotardigrada Mesotardigrada Eutardigrada Tardigrades or water bears comprise the phylum Tardigrada; they are small, segmented animals, similar and related to the Arthropods. ... Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) in his steelyard balance, from Ars de statica medecina, first published 1614 Metabolism (from Î¼ÎµÏ„Î±Î²Î¿Î»Î¹ÏƒÎ¼Î¿Ï‚ (metabolismos)) is the biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms anggjgjhnd cell (b). ... Temperature is also the name of a song by Sean Paul. ... Radiation in physics is a process of emission of energy or particles. ... Pressure (symbol: p) is the force per unit area acting on a surface in a direction perpendicular to that surface. ...

Some Nematodes and Rotifers can also undergo cryptobiosis. Classes Adenophora Subclass Enoplia Subclass Chromadoria Secernentea Subclass Rhabditia Subclass Spiruria Subclass Diplogasteria The roundworms (Phylum Nematoda) are one of the most common phyla of animals, with over 20,000 different described species. ... Classes Seisonoidea Bdelloidea Monogononta The rotifers make up a phylum of microscopic, pseudocoelomate animals. ...

External links

Tardigrade Facts
Tartigrade page

Contents

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