Tardigrade

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Terrestrial / Life / Microorganism / Tardigrade (Water Bear)
—————————

tardigrade : any of a phylum (Tardigrada) of microscopic invertebrates with four pairs of stout legs that live usually in water or damp moss — called also water bear — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Encyclopedia

Tardigrades, also known colloquially as water bears, or moss piglets), are water-dwelling, eight-legged, segmented micro-animals. They have been found everywhere: from mountain tops to the deep sea and mud volcanoes; from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic. Tardigrades are one of the most resilient known animals, with individual species able to survive extreme conditions that would be rapidly fatal to nearly all other known life forms, such as exposure to extreme temperatures, extreme pressures (both high and low), air deprivation, radiation, dehydration, and starvation. About 1,150 known species form the phylum Tardigrada, a part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. The group includes fossils dating from 530 million years ago, in the Cambrian period. — Wikipedia

Tardigrade (Encyclopædia Britannica)
Tardigrade (Biology Online)

Water Bears, Tardigrada (One Zoom)
Tardigrada (Catalogue of Life)
Tardigrade (WolframAlpha)

———————–

Inspiration

Articles about Tardigrades (Big Think)
Talks about Tardigrades (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)

———————-

Innovation

Science

Microbiology is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, immunology, and parasitology. Eukaryotic microorganisms possess membrane-bound organelles and include fungi and protists, whereas prokaryotic organisms—all of which are microorganisms—are conventionally classified as lacking membrane-bound organelles and include Bacteria and Archaea. Microbiologists traditionally relied on culture, staining, and microscopy. However, less than 1% of the microorganisms present in common environments can be cultured in isolation using current means. Microbiologists often rely on molecular biology tools such as DNA sequence based identification, for example the 16S rRNA gene sequence used for bacteria identification. — Wikipedia

Tardigrades (Goldstein Lab, UNC Chapel Hill)

————————–

Preservation

Library

Subject: Tardigrade (Library of Congress)

Subject: Tardigrade (WorldCat)

—————————

Participation

Education

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Course

Microbiology (MIT OpenCourseWare)
Microbiology (edX)

Community

More News …

Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.

Cambrian microfossils reveal earliest known...
on April 20, 2026 at 9:00 pm
Scientists have uncovered the earliest fossil evidence of annelids (ringed worms) in Cambrian microfossils dating back approximately 535 million years ago. This discovery offers fresh insights into the origin and early evolution of the annelids, a group of animals that includes bristle worms, earthworms, leeches, and peanut worms.
Could Mars soil block Earth microbes? 'Water...
on February 27, 2026 at 5:00 pm
Tardigrades, commonly known as water bears, may be better suited by a new name: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy. Unlike the fictional ragtag team of unenthusiastic heroes, the microscopic animals are providing real insight into how humans could adapt extraterrestrial resources to support space exploration, as well as whether such resources could help protect against the Earthly contaminants that humans might shed.
Occupy Mars? Or the moon? Get a reality check on...
on February 22, 2026 at 12:30 am
It's an age-old debate in space circles: Should humanity's first city on another world be built on the moon, or on Mars? As recently as last year, SpaceX founder Elon Musk saw missions to the moon as a "distraction." In a post to his X social-media platform, he declared that "we're going straight to Mars."
Before trips to Mars, we need better protection...
on December 2, 2025 at 5:32 pm
The first step on the moon was one of humanity's most exciting accomplishments. Now scientists are planning return trips—and dreaming of Mars beyond.
Insects on the space menu: A sustainable food...
on November 7, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Long before humans reached orbit, insects had already shown they could handle the hurdles of spaceflight. Light, highly adaptable and nutritionally rich, these resilient animals present an attractive option for European researchers studying reliable food sources for long-duration missions.