Hibernation and Estivation During Seasons of Environmental Stress are Both

Question

Hibernation and estivation during seasons of environmental stress are both examples of
A) acclimatization.
B) torpor.
C) evaporative cooling.
D) nonshivering thermogenesis.
E) shivering thermogenesis.

Accepted Answer

Hibernation and estivation are both forms of torpor, which is a state of decreased metabolic activity in response to environmental stress. During torpor, the animal's body temperature drops and its metabolic rate decreases, allowing it to conserve energy until more favorable conditions return.

Option A, acclimatization, refers to the process by which an individual's physiology adjusts to changes in the environment over time, but it does not involve a state of torpor.

Option C, evaporative cooling, involves the loss of heat through the evaporation of water from the body's surface, and is not directly related to hibernation or estivation.

Option D, nonshivering thermogenesis, is a process by which some animals generate heat through metabolic activity without shivering, but it does not involve a state of torpor.

Option E, shivering thermogenesis, is a process by which animals generate heat through muscle contractions (shivering), but it also does not involve a state of torpor.