AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -torpor, a state of lowered body temperature and metabolic activity assumed by many animals in response to adverse environmental conditions, especially cold and heat.

Detailed explanation-2: -This can be a challenge when freezing weather comes along or when food is scarce. So, in order to survive, many endothermic animals go into what’s known as a state of ‘torpor’. During torpor, physiological processes, like breathing and heart rate, slow down. The body temperature is set at a new, lower point.

Detailed explanation-3: -Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability.

Detailed explanation-4: -During torpor, metabolism is severely depressed but hibernation also involves the inhibition of thermogenesis, leading to a considerable decrease in body temperature (Tb). The induction of torpor begins with lowering of the metabolic rate, followed by hypothermia as the Tb drifts downward (reviewed in: 1-3).