Although the term dormancy is frequently
used in association with plants as well as with animals, this term is still not fully
defined. In all forms of dormancy, the development of new organs from a meristemic
tissue is arrested. Therefore, dormancy may be generally defined as a special
condition of arrested growth in which growth functions are slowed and cell proliferation
is inhibited. When dormancy is broken, cell proliferation and meristemic growth
resume. Thus, compounds capable of inducing dormancy may be particularly
favorable as reversible anti-proliferative agents.