Tag Archives: microscopic organisms

Puffy, Microbial Friends

Have you ever seen anything so microscopically cute?!?

Let me introduce you to the Tardigrade, whom you may already know as the Moss Piglet, or the Water Bear. It’s very likely that he lives in your backyard.

Tardigrades can grow up to about 1 millimeter in length, and lumber around on those eight legs of theirs, sort of like a bear with extra limbs. While they must live in water to maintain proper balance with the environment around them, they can inhabit just about any climate on earth. In fact, the organism is able to go into a hibernation-like state to survive temperature fluctuations, and is thought to have a comfort window between -320 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue reading

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