Phylum: Tardigrade
Background Info: Most Tardigrades live on moist pieces of moss or in the sediment at the bottom of a lake and they feed on bacteria or plant life. On the other hand, some Tardigrades live on the wild side, scientists have found the tardigrades surviving in boiling hot springs and buried under layers of ice on Himalayan Mountain Tops. Moreover, experiments have shown that they are able to survive being frozen at -328 degrees Fahrenheit or heated to an outstanding 300 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. In addition, Tardigrades are capable of withstanding pressures as powerful as 6000 times of that of the atmosphere. Also, they can survive through radiation over thousand of times stronger of the amount that takes to kill a human.
Question: How and why can Tardigrades a.k.a "Water Bears" survive in harsh conditions ?
Hypothesis: If Tardigrades can survive in the harshest conditions then they should be able to survive in space due to their unique adaptations.
Independent Variables: Adaptations of Tardigrades living in grasslands, wetlands, etc. and others living in enviorments with Harsh conditions.
Dependent Variable: How long the Tardigrades can survive in Harsher conditions
Equipment:
Procedure:
Conclusion: It turns out that the adaptation that enables Tardigrades to live through the Harsh conditions is their ability to enter a dehydrated state that closely resembles to death. Upon encountering enviormental stresses, a tardigrade curls up into a dry, lifeless ball called a Tun. This phase reduces the metabolic activity to as low as .01 percent of normal levels. Moreover, as a Tun, I have and scientists have found out that a Tardigrade can survive for decades or even longer. Additionally, once a Tardigrade comes in contact with water, the body returns to a normal metabolic state in a few hours. Unfortunately, the longer a Tardigrade lasts in its Dehydrated state, the slimmer the chance of reviving it afterwards. All in all, Tardigrades have uniqe adaptations which help them cope with their surroundings and that is How and why Tardigrades are able to survive in horrid conditions.
Background Info: Most Tardigrades live on moist pieces of moss or in the sediment at the bottom of a lake and they feed on bacteria or plant life. On the other hand, some Tardigrades live on the wild side, scientists have found the tardigrades surviving in boiling hot springs and buried under layers of ice on Himalayan Mountain Tops. Moreover, experiments have shown that they are able to survive being frozen at -328 degrees Fahrenheit or heated to an outstanding 300 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. In addition, Tardigrades are capable of withstanding pressures as powerful as 6000 times of that of the atmosphere. Also, they can survive through radiation over thousand of times stronger of the amount that takes to kill a human.
Question: How and why can Tardigrades a.k.a "Water Bears" survive in harsh conditions ?
Hypothesis: If Tardigrades can survive in the harshest conditions then they should be able to survive in space due to their unique adaptations.
Independent Variables: Adaptations of Tardigrades living in grasslands, wetlands, etc. and others living in enviorments with Harsh conditions.
Dependent Variable: How long the Tardigrades can survive in Harsher conditions
Equipment:
- Wet and Warm locations
- Freezing and Burning temperature enviorments
- 10 Tardigrades, 5 distributes to each one of the locations
- Access to microscopic cameras that would be placed on each tardigrade
- A partner
Procedure:
- Place the cameras on each of the tardigrades
- Ship them off to there corresponding locations
- Make sure there is 5 of each in each location
- Observe the phylums and their whereabouts
- Write down any information every half hour
- After a significant amount of observations and Data, stop the experiment and analyze the data
Conclusion: It turns out that the adaptation that enables Tardigrades to live through the Harsh conditions is their ability to enter a dehydrated state that closely resembles to death. Upon encountering enviormental stresses, a tardigrade curls up into a dry, lifeless ball called a Tun. This phase reduces the metabolic activity to as low as .01 percent of normal levels. Moreover, as a Tun, I have and scientists have found out that a Tardigrade can survive for decades or even longer. Additionally, once a Tardigrade comes in contact with water, the body returns to a normal metabolic state in a few hours. Unfortunately, the longer a Tardigrade lasts in its Dehydrated state, the slimmer the chance of reviving it afterwards. All in all, Tardigrades have uniqe adaptations which help them cope with their surroundings and that is How and why Tardigrades are able to survive in horrid conditions.
On your left you will see the transformation of a Tardigrade from normal to then its Dehydrated state.