Latent Life

Latent Life, a phrase often used to describe the physiological condition of organisms in which the functions are for a time suspended, without losing the power of future activity. The condition is one of the grades between full life and total death, and was contrasted by Claude Bernard with the 'constant life' of most organisms, and with the 'oscillating life' of those which hibernate. It is illustrated by dry seeds and quiescent spores, by encysted ova and Protists, and by those animals and plants (e.g. paste-eels and lichens) which survive desiccation. See DESICCATION, LIFE.