In the broadest sense, the state in which a living plant organ (seed, bud, tuber, bulb) fails to exhibit growth, even when environmental conditions are considered favorable. In a stricter context, dormancy pertains to a condition where the inhibition of growth is internally controlled by factors restricting water and nutrient absorption, gas exchange, cell division, and other metabolic processes necessary for growth. By utilizing the latter definition, dormancy can be distinguished from other terms such as rest and quiescence which reflect states of inhibited development due to an unfavorable environment.