This nature and especially, animal world They never cease to amaze us. And the thing is, although it may seem impossible, experts and scientists continue to find and discover new things. surprising facts about the creatures around us. For example, did you know that? Is there an animal that can live in space?? Yes, according to what you’ve read.
about this tardigradespopularly known “water bears”, microscopic organisms living all over the world. They were discovered by the German zoologist Johann Ausgust Ephraim Goeze in 1773 and given an interesting name because of their bear-like gait. these creatures Ability to survive in truly extreme conditions such as temperatures ranging from minus 200 degrees to plus 150 degrees Celsius, high pressures and lack of water. But perhaps the most striking thing about tardigrades is their survive in space.
In 2019, the Israel Beresheet spacecraft poured thousands of dehydrated tardigrades to see how they would react in these conditions. Scientists have observed that tardigrades shrink and they gathered together in a ball shape, expelling most of the water from their bodies and minimizing their movement. metabolism. This state of metabolic lethargy and drought gives them insist on doing nothing, neither eating, drinking, nor mating until it floods again. When this happens, the creature resurrect and continues as if nothing happened.
What surprises scientists the most, tardigrades can survive for more than a decade in this state of metabolic lethargy and drought.and some researchers believe they could continue this way for up to a century. This is even more bizarre, as the average lifespan of a tardigrade that drinks constantly is only a few months, but their lifespan can span many years.
water bears too They can repair their damaged DNA. radiation cosmic. Tardigrades produce enormous amounts of antioxidants that neutralize space radiation caused by distant supernovae, our sun or other sources. These substances repair their DNA much faster than that of any other animal, so shield against the lack of atmosphere and stellar radiation.
Moreover, tardigrades can survive in extreme conditions on Earth. They can withstand extremely high (150 °C) and low (-200ºC) temperatures as well as very high pressures (6000 atm). They are very abundant and can be found on any surface such as moss or lichen. These organisms are They have the ability to reproduce sexually by the union of two tardigrades or asexually by splitting their own bodies. in two people. As if he was an alien.
tardigrades one of the most fascinating creatures in the worldThey have a number of unique features that enable them to survive in extreme conditions. Their ability to survive in space has attracted great interest from the scientific community, as they can be used in future space missions to explore planets and asteroids.
And not only that, tardigrades too has potential applications in medicine, as the ability to repair damaged DNA can be beneficial treatment cancer. Also, understanding how tardigrades can survive in extreme conditions can assist in materials engineering and the fabrication of robust electronic devices.
As a result, tardigrades They are living proof that size doesn’t matter when it comes to adaptation and survival. In extreme conditions and the potential of science and technology seems as great as its resistance!