Science & Nature · 3
What percentage of its original body weight can a tardigrade lose during anhydrobiosis?
Answer
97%
During anhydrobiosis (cryptobiosis induced by dehydration), a tardigrade loses up to 97% of its body water, shrinking to only about one-third its normal size. This extreme desiccation is reversible—when water returns, the tardigrade can rehydrate and resume normal metabolism and reproduction. This incredible adaptation allows tardigrades to enter a tun state where they can survive for decades in the harshest environments known to science.
💡 Did you know?
A rehydrated tardigrade can go from completely desiccated to feeding and reproducing within just hours.
Other options people guess
- 30%
- 60%
- 99.5%
Topics
- extremophiles
- tardigrades
- cryptobiosis
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