Diapause

Diapause is a period of suspended development and growth accompanied by decreased metabolism in insects and some other animals. It is a survival strategy that allows these organisms to survive adverse environmental conditions.

Overview

Diapause is a physiological state of dormancy with very specific and often complex conditions for breaking diapause to return to the active state. It is most often observed in arthropods, especially insects. However, some birds and mammals also undergo periods of dormancy that have some of the characteristics of diapause.

Mechanism

The mechanism of diapause involves changes in the levels of certain hormones, especially ecdysone, juvenile hormone and diapause hormone. These changes are triggered by environmental cues such as changes in day length, temperature and food availability.

Types of Diapause

There are three main types of diapause:

• Prediapause - This is the period before diapause when the organism prepares for the dormant state.
• Diapause - This is the actual period of dormancy.
• Postdiapause - This is the period after diapause when the organism returns to the active state.

Role in Survival

Diapause is a survival strategy that allows insects and other organisms to survive adverse environmental conditions such as winter cold or summer drought. By entering a state of suspended development and reduced metabolism, these organisms can conserve energy and resources until conditions improve.

See Also

• Hibernation
• Estivation
• Dormancy
• Insect physiology

References

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