How Do Tardigrades Survive Extreme Conditions Like Outer Space?

💡 The Answer

• Tardigrades enter a cryptobiotic state called a tun where they expel almost all water from their bodies.
• They produce special proteins that protect their DNA from radiation and prevent cellular damage.
• In this dehydrated form they can survive temperatures from absolute zero to over 150 degrees Celsius.
• They have been exposed to the vacuum of space and still returned to active life once rehydrated.