anoxybiosis
|an-ox-y-bi-o-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ɑk.sɪ.baɪˈoʊ.sɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ɒk.sɪ.baɪˈəʊ.sɪs/
suspended life due to lack of oxygen
Etymology
'anoxybiosis' originates from modern scientific formation using Greek elements: 'an-' (without), 'oxys' (sharp; in modern compound use referring to 'oxygen'), and 'bios' (life), combined with the noun-forming suffix '-osis'.
'anoxybiosis' was coined in Neo-Latin/modern scientific English by combining Greek roots 'an-' + 'oxys' + 'bios' (and the suffix '-osis') and entered specialized biological usage in the late 19th to 20th century.
Initially constructed to mean 'a condition of life without oxygen,' its current technical sense is more specific: 'a reversible suspended metabolic state (dormancy) caused by lack of oxygen.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a reversible state of suspended metabolism or dormancy induced by absence or near-absence of oxygen; a form of cryptobiosis occurring under anoxic conditions (used in zoology and microbiology).
During prolonged oxygen depletion in the pond, some invertebrates enter anoxybiosis to survive until conditions improve.
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Last updated: 2025/08/19 18:37