What Does hibernation Mean
The hibernation is a physiological state that adopt some animals to adapt to extreme weather conditions of the winter . By hibernating, these species decrease their metabolic functions to save energy.
The metabolism of hibernating animals is therefore reduced in the interests of energy conservation . Hibernation, which can last from days to months, means that the body temperature drops, as does the respiratory rate. The specific characteristics of the process, however, depend on each species.
During hibernation, the individual makes use of the energy reserves accumulated during the warmer seasons. That is why you can go a long time without eating. By minimizing your breathing and pulsations and interrupting digestion, the body uses little energy and draws on its lipid reserves to obtain the essential energy resources it needs while extending the "sleep" or "torpor" period of hibernation. .
The bears are animals that develop hibernation. Therefore, in the winter, they remain in this state . When bears come out of this state, they look much slimmer than before winter and must adapt again to normal activities of feeding and physical exercise.
Hibernation belongs to a group of phenomena called dormancy or dormancy , which is defined as a period in the life cycle of an organism (animal or plant) during which its development, physical activity and growth are temporarily suspended. . Energy conservation during this period is made possible by the fact that metabolic activity is drastically reduced.
It is important to note that organisms can synchronize their dormancy stage with the environment, and this occurs in two different ways: the predictive one , the state of hibernation begins before the conditions that it intends to avoid arrive , such as intense cold. ; the consequent one begins after these conditions. Some plants predict the arrival of winter thanks to the photoperiod (the variations in the lighting they receive, which can alter their germination) or to the drop in temperature.
Also called hibernation is a condition similar to that of animals that can be generated in a human being through drugs . The notion can also be linked to cryopreservation : the use of very low temperatures to preserve tissues and cell functions.
In theory , it is assumed that hibernation or a similar process could be useful for people to develop space travel that requires a great amount of time. However, there is still no technology capable of generating such a state in a controlled and reversible manner.
For our species , hibernation is truly fascinating, in part because it is an absolutely natural state that allows energy expenditure to be reduced to almost zero levels. For example, the heart rate can reach 5 percent of its normal value. We could say that humans "envy" animals for being able to achieve so many things that are unattainable for us.
People often confuse this concept with wintering, but their meanings are different. Wintering is defined as spending the winter season somewhere favorable to resist the cold . If we are strict, the dictionary does not even talk about the characteristics of the place, but simply refers to the action of staying there during the winter; other two meanings that it provides are the following: give cattle good pasture to make them fat (used in Uruguay); take the cattle to the greenhouses to graze there (in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile).