Water Bears

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

So I just learned about these little critters today, and I have to say they are pretty darn amazing! I don't know why we never learned about these in biology, there we focused on all of these microbes that can't endure conditions even half as bad as these puppies lol. And these aren't even microbes, they're actually about a millimeter in length which means you could see them with your naked eye. I just felt the need to post this and spread the word, because I was personally extremely interested when I started reading about them.

I just hope none of them ever find their way into my apartment. Able to withstand 1200atm pressure? I don't know if my fly swatter would be enough lol.

That is seriously cool.

Yeah, tardigrades are A-mazing!! !

They make lions, tigers, gorillas, rhinos, and humans look pathetic, frail, and vulnerable. lol

Interesting, thanks! I also hope I never find any in my house.

Wow, the ultimate cockroach!
I've never heard of them, so thanks for posting.


They kind of made it seem as though a single species is capable of all of those extremes, which would surprise me. I'm guessing they are like prokaryotic microbes, and most only withstand one or two extremes.

Actually from the description, it sounds like they go into a dormant state when subjected to harsh conditions, and that allows them to withstand such extremes. Pretty much the same thing as a microbial endospore. Wikipedia is hardly the most prestigious or detailed resource, but it is often the best at explaining the basics .

A book I read in the school library that was written in the early sixties about the future of space travel( when the moon landing was still years in the future) turned me on to mind blowing stuff that I never heard about in the media again for decades. Things like the Tungusta meteor, cyborgs, and water bears. The first two have been exploited by cable TV only recently. Water bears may come into vogue next. When that happens everyone on this thread can say that "I was into water bears before water bears were cool."

Tradigrades! I first learned of them on wikipedia several years ago.

I also saw them on animal planet's the most extreme show, which counts down the top ten most extreme animals at a given thing. They won the "come back from the edge of death" countdown, and most definitely deserved it. I wouldn't mind them in my house as critters never really bothered me. I always love seeing one of the house centipedes wander out into the open.

We all have trillions of dust mites in homes ( mainly in your carpet), but I think tardigrades prefer the outdoors.

They especially like damp mosses, and lichens, on rocks in streams.

Who knows?

In the average patch of moss they have whole cities, and univeristies!

I've heard brief mentions of the water bear in my classes (I'm going to College for a major in Conservation Biology), and find them fascinating. I won der, is it one species that is resistant to all of these stresses, or are these observations made across multiple species, each of which are able to withstand different conditions. maybe one day, I'll look on Google Scholar when I have the time and find out.

I love tardigrades. They are such wonderful creatures. I'd someday like to see one in real life.

i learned about these things on animal planet's THE MOST EXTREME! truly these things ROCK!

I knew about these things for years, but then again, my father's job was training people at a sewage plant, and there's a lot of biology to be learned:

Anyway,

Tardigrades (link to a Youtube Video - the inbedding bbcode isn't working)

[Mod. edit - fixed that for you! The YouTube embedding BBCode doesn't work when an https URL is used]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0E77TdYnY[/youtube]

They really are cool. I also think they're cute, in a gummy bear way.

I learned about them several years ago. They're awesome and kind of cute.