reply to post by smyleegrl
I present to you the Tardigrade!!
"
Tardigrades are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal. Some can survive temperatures of close to
absolute zero, or 0 Kelvin (−273 °C (−459 °F)), temperatures as high as 151 °C (304 °F), 1,000 times more radiation than other animals,[9] and
almost a decade without water. Since 2007, tardigrades have also returned alive from studies in which they have been exposed to the vacuum of space
for a few days in low Earth orbit. Tardigrades are the first known animal to survive in space."
Tardigrade
They are capable of surviving the vaccum of space, 1000times more radiation than any other animal, as well they can survive almost a decade with out
water.
Pretty exciting little buggers when you think about them.
Tardigrades have been known to withstand the following extremes
" Temperature – tardigrades can survive being heated for a few minutes to 151 °C (424 K),[21] or being chilled for days at −200 °C (73
K),[21] or for a few minutes at −272 °C (~1 degree above absolute zero).[22]
Pressure – they can withstand the extremely low pressure of a vacuum and also very high pressures, more than 1,200 times atmospheric pressure.
Tardigrades can survive the vacuum of open space and solar radiation combined for at least 10 days.[22] Some species can also withstand pressure of
6,000 atmospheres, which is nearly six times the pressure of water in the deepest ocean trench, the Mariana trench.[13]
Dehydration – tardigrades have been shown to survive nearly 120 years in a dry state.[23] When exposed to extremely low temperatures, their body
composition goes from 85% water to only 3%. As water expands upon freezing, dehydration ensures the tardigrades do not get ripped apart by the
freezing ice (as waterless tissues cannot freeze).[24]
Radiation – tardigrades can withstand median lethal doses of 5,000 Gy (of gamma-rays) and 6,200 Gy (of heavy ions) in hydrated animals (5 to 10
Gy could be fatal to a human).[25] The only explanation thus far for this ability is that their lowered water state provides fewer reactants for the
ionizing radiation.[26]
Environmental toxins – tardigrades can undergo chemobiosis—a cryptobiotic response to high levels of environmental toxins. However, these
laboratory results have yet to be verified.[27][28]
Outer space – In September 2007, tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and for 10 days were exposed to the vacuum
of space. After being rehydrated back on Earth, over 68% of the subjects protected from high-energy UV radiation survived and many of these produced
viable embryos, and a handful had survived full exposure to solar radiation.[22][29] In May 2011, tardigrades were sent into space along with other
extremophiles on STS-134, the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.[30][31][32] In November 2011, they were among the organisms to be sent by the
US-based Planetary Society on the Russian Fobos-Grunt mission's Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment to Phobos; however, the launch failed. "
That was a little more from wiki..
