S07 → N400
The Spike of Fascinating & Unexpected
SPIKE 67
→ TARDIGRADE.
© 1. Roberto Guidetti — Limnoterrestrial tardigrade Acutuncus antarcticus viewed under a microscope / 2. Meckes & Ottawa/Eye of Science — Tardigrade / 3. Getty Images / 4. Schultze C.A.S. — Echiniscus, a genus of tardigrades in the family Echiniscidae (1861) / 5. Bob Blaylock — The shed cuticle of a female Tardigrade or “water bear” containing eggs / 6. Vader1941 — SEM characterization of an unknown species of tardigrade (ventral view) / 7. E. de Laplante - Doyère [L. M. F.] — Echiniscus testudo on a grain of sand (1840) / 8. Rukanoga/Fotolia / 9. Robert Pickett — Water Bear, Phylum Tardigrade / 10. NASA.
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Tardigrades are incredibly small, ranging from 0.1 to 1.5 millimetres in length, and they have distinctive barrel-shaped bodies with eight legs, giving them a bear-like appearance. Despite their small size, tardigrades are highly adaptable creatures found in a wide range of environments worldwide, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. One of the most remarkable features of tardigrades is their ability to survive extreme conditions that would be lethal to most other organisms. They can endure extreme temperatures ranging from near absolute zero to over 150 degrees Celsius (around 300 degrees Fahrenheit), as well as intense pressures, radiation, dehydration, and even the vacuum of outer space.
To survive these harsh conditions, tardigrades enter a state called cryptobiosis, during which they shrink and dehydrate their bodies, effectively suspending their metabolism and biological activity. In this dormant state, tardigrades can survive for extended periods without food, water, or oxygen until conditions become favourable for them to revive and resume normal activity. They can be found in diverse habitats worldwide, including mosses, lichens, soil, leaf litter, and freshwater ecosystems. They play essential roles in their ecosystems as predators and scavengers, feeding on bacteria, algae, and other microscopic organisms.
The tardigrades-on-the-moon story gained attention in 2019 when it was reported that thousands of tardigrades were aboard an Israeli spacecraft called Beresheet, which crash-landed on the lunar surface. Among the cargo of Beresheet was a “lunar library” created by the Arch Mission Foundation, which included a variety of materials, such as human DNA samples and tardigrades. However, the fate of these tardigrades remains uncertain. They are incredibly resilient and capable of surviving extreme conditions, but it’s unclear whether they could survive the impact and subsequent conditions on the moon. Some experts believe that the tardigrades may have survived the crash in a dormant state, protected within the spacecraft’s wreckage. However, without proper environmental conditions and resources, it is unlikely that they could thrive or reproduce on the moon. As of now, the presence and potential survival of tardigrades on the moon remain a subject of scientific speculation and debate.
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→ Sourced from: SYSTEM 04 (Poutchka Patrol)
→ Stored online: N400 Spikes Repository
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→ Search log: Google images / Microbial Life
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