How Does Diapause Differ from Hibernation in Animals?
Learning how is diapause different from hibernation will help you answer the questions related to this topic effectively in the exam. Certain animals reduce the rate of its bodily functions to minimize food intake and manage to survive in the harshest weather conditions. The body temperature of an animal drops abruptly in a controlled way. Similarly, diapauses can be observed in the insects where the body temperature does not drop but the life functions are paused for a certain period.
The evolution of animals has led to the development of various remarkable traits that help them to survive and thrive. One of the fascinating traits of certain animals is hibernation. The subject experts at Vedantu have properly described the difference between diapause and hibernation to ensure that all students can understand the concepts easily. Read this explanation and the differences between hibernation and diapause to understand the concept well. You will also be able to figure out the right answers to the questions on the differences between these two adaptations.
Summary of Diapause Vs Hibernation
It can be difficult to understand the topics when you do not have a proper platform to resolve your doubts. Apart from the explanations given in the NCERT textbook, you will need a simpler explanation of these zoological terms to understand the concepts properly. This is where the summary of diapause vs hibernation scribed by the experts will help you as a reference study material.
The differences are nicely tabulated after explaining the topics. You will find out how exactly and where hibernation and diapause differ. The points will be then described so that you can clear your doubts and eradicate any confusion arising in your mind. For instance, diapauses are observed in the insects. It has no specific time of occurrence as it happens during the dormant stage of an insect. On the other hand, hibernation, as we all know, happens in the more advanced organisms. It generally happens when the climate becomes harsher and it becomes really tough to survive. Food becomes scarce and the organisms cannot meet the daily calorie requirement. This is when the animals control and reduce calorie usage and abruptly reduce the rate of metabolic activities. The body temperature drops and the animals go to a sleep cycle. Even the heart rate reduces to a minimum. It is an excellent capability where the animals can control such involuntary functions. At the end of the hibernation period, the metabolic activities are regained and the physiological functions return back to normal.
By going through this summary, you can understand the difference between diapause and hibernation as a point-wise descriptive method is used here. It will help you gather knowledge based on each of the topics so that you can easily answer the questions. It is obvious that both topics are closely related. Hence, studying the difference will help you grab the concept better. When you can easily differentiate and identify these biological adaptations, you will be able to answer the questions in exam very easily and score well.
Why use Diapause vs Hibernation summary?
Scientific topics are based on facts. The questions related to these topics should be based on the exact information and knowledge you have gathered from books and classroom sessions. In this aspect, diapauses and hibernation are closely related topics studied in the chapters of biology. The former generally occurs in the insects whereas the latter happens in higher animals.
By studying the difference between diapause and hibernation, it will become a lot easier for a student to identify which biological adaptation a question is referring to. It will help students to remember the characteristics of these biological phenomena and to write a correct answer. Even though the concepts are described in the textbooks properly, you might need a reference platform to ease the process of understanding and studying. The summary of the differences between these two biological processes will help students understand the concept in a simpler language.
Answering questions from science subjects require you to be specific and precise. Your answers will determine how much knowledge you have gathered on this particular topic. As the differences are written following a point-wise method, it will also help you answer questions concisely in the exams. You will find it convenient to follow the basic protocols of answering biology questions related to these topics.
Always use the concept summary prepared by the experts of Vedantu as a reference. It will make your preparation easier and better. A well-organized concept summary stating the difference between diapause and hibernation will help you stay ahead of the class by clearing your doubts beforehand. You can refer to it as per your convenience to make your study schedule more flexible. Use your resources well to ace the exams.
FAQs on Diapause vs Hibernation: Understanding the Differences
1. What are diapause and hibernation?
Diapause is a pre-programmed period of suspended development in an organism's life cycle, typically seen in insects. It is a predictive strategy to survive expected unfavourable conditions. Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity or inactivity, primarily in mammals, to conserve energy and survive harsh conditions like extreme cold and food scarcity.
2. What is the main difference between diapause and hibernation?
The primary difference lies in their control mechanism and physiological state. Diapause is a hormonally controlled, genetically programmed halt in development that occurs at a specific life stage, regardless of immediate conditions. In contrast, hibernation is a direct physiological response to external triggers like cold, involving a deep suppression of metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature to conserve energy.
3. Which types of organisms undergo diapause, and which undergo hibernation?
The types of organisms are quite distinct:
- Diapause is most commonly observed in insects (e.g., silkworms, ladybugs) and other arthropods. It can also occur in the embryonic stage of some fish and crustaceans, like zooplankton.
- Hibernation is characteristic of several mammals (e.g., bears, bats, groundhogs) and some cold-blooded animals like certain reptiles and amphibians.
4. How do the environmental triggers for diapause versus hibernation differ?
Diapause is initiated by predictive cues that signal future adverse conditions, with the most common trigger being a change in photoperiod (day length). This allows the organism to prepare in advance. Hibernation, however, is typically triggered by more immediate environmental factors, such as a significant drop in ambient temperature and the increasing scarcity of food sources.
5. Is diapause restricted to a specific developmental stage of an organism?
Yes, a key feature of diapause is that it is stage-specific. An organism enters diapause at a particular point in its life cycle and development is arrested. This can be as an egg (embryonic diapause), a larva (larval diapause), a pupa (pupal diapause), or even as an adult (reproductive diapause), preventing reproduction until conditions are favourable.
6. How does diapause differ from other forms of dormancy, like quiescence?
While both are states of dormancy, diapause is a proactive and programmed state. It is initiated by a predictive stimulus (like day length) and requires a specific termination cue. Quiescence, on the other hand, is a direct and immediate halt in development caused by an adverse condition, such as a sudden drop in temperature. Development resumes as soon as favourable conditions return, making it a reactive rather than predictive strategy.
7. What is the difference between hibernation and aestivation?
Both are states of metabolic suppression, but they are responses to different environmental challenges. Hibernation is a state of dormancy to survive cold winter temperatures and food scarcity ('winter sleep'). In contrast, aestivation is a strategy to survive periods of intense heat and drought ('summer sleep'), commonly seen in animals like lungfish, snails, and some amphibians.
8. Can an organism easily exit diapause or hibernation if conditions suddenly become favourable?
It is generally more difficult to break diapause. Since it is a pre-programmed state, a temporary return of favourable conditions is usually not enough to terminate it; it requires a specific physiological or environmental cue. An animal in hibernation can be aroused if disturbed or if the temperature changes significantly, but this process consumes a massive amount of stored energy, making it risky.
