We finally know how tardigrades can survive extreme conditions

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Tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive extreme conditions by entering a dormant state called “tun”. In this state, they dehydrate their tissues and lower their metabolism to as little as 0.01% of its normal rate. They can remain in this state for decades, until conditions improve

This process is called cryptobiosis, which is a reversible state where metabolic activities come to a standstill. It’s a death-like state, as most organisms die when their metabolism stops. 

Scientists are studying tardigrades to learn how their unique abilities could be used to preserve other biological materials and engineer crops that can withstand extreme temperatures

In adverse conditions, such as freezing temperatures or intense radiation, the critters shrivel up into a dry ball called a tun and enter a state of deep hibernation. “Tardigrades don’t thrive under extreme conditions, but they can overwinter them,” says Derrick Kolling at Marshall University in West Virginia

Yes, tardigrades can survive absolute zero. They can also survive temperatures as low as minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just above absolute zero

Tardigrades are tiny, eight-legged aquatic animals that can survive in extreme conditions. They can also survive in the vacuum of space and pressures six times greater than the deepest ocean trenches. 

Tardigrades are also resistant to ionizing radiation. However, they are instantly killed by a nuclear fireball, as are all other forms of life.

No living organism can survive in lava, including tardigrades

Tardigrades are semi-aquatic and can survive in both watery and terrestrial environments. They can be found all over the world, including frigid Antarctic glaciers and active lava fields. However, they are not indestructible and are made of compounds of mostly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. 

Tardigrades can be killed by exposure to hot water for an extended period of time. One study showed that one hour of exposure to water at 82.7 °C (180.9 °F) can kill a tardigrade in its “tun” state.

Tardigrades can survive temperatures up to 151°C (304°F) for a few minutes. However, they have a fatal weakness: they wilt under heat. A 2020 study found that tardigrades in water temperatures of about 100°F (37.8°C) can die in just one day. 

Tardigrades are microscopic organisms that are almost indestructible. They have a protective cuticle that helps to prevent desiccation (drying out) and provides some protection against extreme temperatures and radiation. 

Tardigrades can also survive in conditions of extreme pressure, radiation, and even the vacuum of space

Yes, tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive extreme conditions by entering a dormant state called “tun”. 

In this state, tardigrades shrivel up into a ball, expel most of the water in their bodies, and lower their metabolism. Their body systems slow down so much that they’re almost—but not quite—dead

Scientists call this extreme type of hibernation “cryptobiosis”. A tardigrade can stay in a tun state for decades. When conditions return to normal, the tardigrade revives itself. 

Tardigrades are eight-legged, microscopic invertebrates that can be found around the world. They can withstand extremely cold temperatures down to 0.01 K (−460 °F; −273 °C) (close to absolute zero), while others can withstand extremely hot temperatures up to 420 K (300 °F; 150 °C) for several minutes

Tardigrades can tolerate a variety of extreme conditions, including:

  • Temperature: Temperatures as low as -200 °C (-328 °F) and as high as 151 °C (304 °F) 
  • Pressure: Pressures six times that of the deepest ocean reaches 
  • Radiation: 1000x more radiation than the average animal 
  • Desiccation: Complete desiccation 
  • Starvation: Air deprivation and starvation 
  • Chemicals: Some noxious chemicals 
  • Space: The vacuum of outer space Tardigrades are also known for their ability to survive:
    • Freezing in liquid nitrogen 
    • Severe osmotic shock 
    • Exposure to cosmic radiation 
    • Near volcanoes 
    • Boiling alcohol Tardigrades are aquatic and require a thin layer of water around their bodies to prevent dehydration. Their preferred habitat is freshwater mosses and lichens, which is why they’re also known as moss piglets. 

Tardigrades have adapted to environmental stress by undergoing a process known as cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is a state in which metabolic activities come to a reversible standstill

Tardigrades can also replace almost all of the water in their bodies with a sugar called trehalose. This allows them to escape many of the things that would otherwise kill them. 

Tardigrades can also survive in the vacuum of space. When conditions improve, they unfurl themselves and go about their business

Tardigrades have several ways to protect themselves:

  • Dsup protein: This protein protects their DNA from damage caused by ionizing radiation, which is found in soil, water, and plants. 
  • Tardigrade disordered proteins (TDPs): These water-soluble proteins protect tardigrade cells from damage. 
  • Protective shell: When exposed to extreme cold, tardigrades can enter a state of cryptobiosis, where they dry out and form a protective shell called a tun. In this state, they can withstand freezing temperatures and survive being frozen for extended periods of time. Tardigrades can also be killed by exposure to hot water for an extended period of time. One study showed that one hour of exposure to water at 82.7 °C (180.9 °F) can kill a tardigrade in its “tun” state. 

Yes, tardigrades have predators. Some of their predators include: 

  • Nematodes: A type of worm 
  • Amoebas 
  • Other tardigrades 
  • Mites 
  • Spiders 
  • Springtails 
  • Insect larvae 
  • Parasitic protozoa 
  • Fungi Tardigrades also have other enemies, including:
    • Ecosystem grazers: Such as freshwater crustaceans, earthworms, and arthropods 
    • Heat: Tardigrades can die in water temperatures of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in just one day. 
    • Head-on collisions: Tardigrades can’t withstand head-on collisions at nearly 1,000 meters per second. Tardigrades are aquatic and live in mosses and lichens. They feed on plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates. Some species are entirely carnivorous

Tardigrades eat a variety of organisms, including:

  • Plants: Tardigrades pierce plant cells and suck out the contents. They eat algae, flowering plants, and freshwater green algae like Chlorella and Chlorococcum. 
  • Animals: Tardigrades eat bacteria, protozoans, micrometazoans, and other tardigrades. Some species can engulf entire organisms, like rotifers. 
  • Other invertebrates: Tardigrades eat rotifers, nematodes, and other tardigrades. Tardigrades use primitive mouthparts called stylets to pierce the cell walls and membranes of their prey. They then suck out the contents for nutrients

It was previously known that when facing external stressors, tardigrades curled up into a little ball, entering a sort of deep hibernation called tun. During tun, the animals’ legs retract, their metabolism drastically slows and they nearly completely dehydrate themselves

Tardigrades are considered the toughest life form on Earth. They can survive for up to 30 years without food or water, and endure temperature extremes of up to 150 degrees Celsius. They can also survive being frozen at -272° Celsius, being exposed to the vacuum of outer space, and even being blasted with 500 times the dose of X-rays that would kill a human

Tardigrades are extremely drought tolerant and have special proteins that produce a glass-like matrix in their body to stop them from totally dehydrating. They also have a unique protein in their bodies called Dsup—short for “damage suppressor”—that protects their DNA from being harmed by things like ionizing radiation. 

Tardigrades can withstand complete dehydration. Once desiccated, they have been frozen in blocks of ice, exposed to radiation, and sent into the vacuum of space, and yet they still usually spring back to life when water becomes available again

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5 thoughts on “We finally know how tardigrades can survive extreme conditions

    1. I wonder if they could survive on a planet like Mars? But I guess that is still too cold. Or maybe something like them is already there in the water they say is on Mars? Just wondering 🧐

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