biostasis means the ability of an organism to tolerate environmental changes without actively adapting to them. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “biostasis” is a great word
BIOSTASIS — [Noun] A state in which an organism’s metabolic processes are drastically slowed or suspended, enabling it to passively endure extreme environmental conditions. Formed within English by compounding the combining form bio- (from Greek bios, 'life') and stasis (from Greek stasis, 'a standing still, inactivity'). Unlike homeostasis (which involves active, constant regulation of an internal state) or cryonics (which is a specific technological practice), biostasis is the underlying biological principle of life in abeyance. It is the desiccated tardigrade curled in a grain of desert sand, the brine shrimp egg dormant in a salt-flat crust, and the frog frozen solid in the leaf-litter—a silent bet placed against time, a holding of breath on a geological scale.
Etymology
From bio- + stasis.
noun
- The ability of an organism to tolerate environmental changes without actively adapting to them