Tardigrade
by Chance Megginson
About Tardigrade
Tardigrades (also known as water-bears or moss piglets) are water-dwelling, segmented really small animals(.05 mm to 1.2 mm), with eight legs.The animals are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates. When collected, they may be viewed under a very-low-power microscope, making them accessible to students and amateur scientists.
Fun Fact
Have been around for half a billion years
Thoughest Animal
More info!
Tardigrades have been known to survive the following extreme conditions:temperatures as low as -200 °C (-328 °F) and as high as 151 °C (304 °F);freezing and/or thawing processes;changes in salinity;lack of oxygen;lack of water;levels of X-ray radiation thousand times the lethal human dose;some noxious chemicals;boiling alcohol;low pressure of a vacuum;high pressure (up to 6x the pressure of the deepest part of the ocean
How they survive so well?
Tardigrades have adapted to environmental stress by undergoing a process known as Cryptobiosis . Cryptobiosis is defined as a state in which metabolic activities come to a reversible standstill.