Stunning photos of Tardigrades!

Looks like a SF creature with a sort of space suit...

Is this an alien? Probably not, but of all the animals on Earth, the tardigrade might be the best candidate. That's because tardigrades are known to be able to go for decades without food or water, to survive temperatures from near absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water, to survive pressures from near zero to well above that on ocean floors, and to survive direct exposure to dangerous radiations. The far-ranging survivability of these extremophiles was tested in 2011 outside an orbiting space shuttle. Tardigrades are so durable partly because they can repair their own DNA and reduce their body water content to a few percent. Some of these miniature water-bears almost became extraterrestrials recently when they were launched toward to the Martian moon Phobos on board the Russian mission Fobos-Grunt, but stayed terrestrial when a rocket failed and the capsule remained in Earth orbit. Tardigrades are more common than humans across most of the Earth. Pictured above in a color-enhanced electron micrograph, a millimeter-long tardigrade crawls on moss.

APOD

Water bears (or tardigrades) are tiny invertebrates that live in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats such as lichen and damp moss. They require water to obtain oxygen by gas exchange. In dry conditions, they can enter a cryptobiotic state of desiccation, known as a tun, to survive. In this state, water bears can survive for up to a decade. Water bears are found throughout the world, including regions of extreme temperature, such as hot springs, and extreme pressure, such as deep underwater. They can also survive the high levels of radiation and the vacuum of space.

More photos:



Head:


Leg detail:


Egg:


Source and more photos at FineArtAmerica

The first one looks like a hoover bag with legs!

Great stuff. s&f

Without doubt the coolest thing i'll see this week. S&F.

Desert cam too, nice.

Never even heard of one, i'll show the kids when they get in from school....thanks for the education.

CX.

Wow, SnF!!
If there ever was a life source that came from outside Earth, this one qualifies. It makes me wonder if they came in on meteors? Next, it would be fascinating to know if they communicate with each other like whales.

Originally posted by SilentE
The first one looks like a hoover bag with legs!

Great stuff. s&f

You mean... that? :





Yeah, I guess that this is really what they are .... Natural tiny hoover bags ...

Originally posted by elevenaugust

Originally posted by SilentE
The first one looks like a hoover bag with legs!

Great stuff. s&f

You mean... that? :

Yeah, I guess that this is really what they are .... Natural tiny hoover bags ...

edit on 6-3-2013 by elevenaugust because: (no reason given)

I can't stop laughing!

I just went on google images, typed in hoover bag with legs and guess what popped up?...

The first picture in your OP!

reply to post by elevenaugust


Great. Now someone will start trying to find a way to make these into supplements promising that it will help humans repair our own DNA and live forever.

Watch.

I'm also a fan and have been for some time!!! I Love Moss Piglets!!!

BEARS OF THE MOSS - Nature's Best Survivalist!!

reply to post by elevenaugust


I feel like my eyes are trying to decieve me



S+F

reply to post by elevenaugust

S&F for the great photos and for showing me something that can survive the vacuum of space! Thats a doozy and makes my mind think real hard as I look at those photos. Is it possible they came from comets, perhaps from some world far away that blew up? Or do they live all over the universe?
Very cool!

I wonder if they are nutritious and pop like a grape when you chew them or just sit in your mouth like leather no matter how much you chomp?

reply to post by elevenaugust


It kind of looks like Appa from Avatar The Last Air Bender.

www.microscopy-uk.org.uk...

25.media.tumblr.com...

reply to post by elevenaugust


Very neat pictures, it sort of reminds me of this.

masseffect.wikia.com...

Well look at that, the bugs are spinning spacesuits to live in the toxic environment we are creating. I suppose they will soon be knitting spacesuits for the birds and other animals. Maybe the spiders will knit bullet proof vests for the deer.

Good thread OP, kind of comical looking bugimal. Are these things classified as animal or bug?

Flags and Stars cause I love this kinda stuff!

reply to post by elevenaugust


That is so awesome,

You know, the tardigrade grows to be about a millimeter long and most protists, like say, the rotifer, come in at just about + or - 0.5mm.

So, I was thinking, how about tardigrade gladiatorial combat?

"In this corner, straight from the Himallllyas!, The terrrrible tardigraaaaaade!

We could give the tardigrade a trident and a net and have him take on half a dozen rotifer.

reply to post by elevenaugust


Water bears!! I LOVE these little guys!

Aren't they just the most amazing creatures, they almost look mechanical in nature...so very cool!

Thanks for this post, I can never get enough of this kind of thing. I love the natural world and all it's mysteries!

s&f for you! I love your posts!

wow those are some awesome photos of something so small!

they almost look like mini darleks lol

"exterminate! exterminate!"

Very nice pics , thanks OP.
I sometimes wonder if we are observed by others via huge magnification capability as we observe those who trespass on moss.

Clearly we have tools to see even the parasites that live on parasites that live on these tardigrade organisms, but to be allowed to see even marginal detail or clear resolution of the circus and jungle on the moon? -- nope , no sirree, just cant be done ~~~~BS.

it looks terrifying until you remember it's so tiny.
stunning pictures! thanks for the post

s&f