WHAT ARE TARDIGRADES or water bears?

 

Water bears, or tardigrades, are thought to be the world's most resilient animals.

There are over 900 different species of these tiny, segmented animals, which can be found in every part of the earth, from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans.
They have four pairs of eight legs, and on each leg are four to eight bear-like claws.

The 1 mm animals are so hardy that even after boiling, freezing, drying, and being exposed to radiation, they will still be around in 200 years.

Water bears are able to withstand extremes in temperature—-457 degrees, 357 degrees in heat, and 5,700 greys of radiation—while humans and most other animals would perish in 10–20 greys of radiation.

Outliving dinosaurs, tardigrades have existed for 530 million years.

In addition, the animals can endure ten years without water and can even survive in space.

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Scientists have discovered that the proteins in 'indestructible' tardigrades may contain an anti-aging elixir that slows down cell damage.

 
When tardigrades experience stress, they go into a state of hibernation known as biostasis.

 
Additionally, the proteins that enable biostasis severely slowed down human cells.

 
Researchers believe they can slow the death of human cells by using tardigrade proteins. 

An illustration of a (water bear)