Tardigrade is a phylum, a high-level scientific category of animal. (Humans belong in the Chordate phylum — animals with spinal cords.) There are over 1,000 known species within Tardigrade, according to Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
In many conditions, they survive by going into an almost death-like state called cryptobiosis. They curl into a dehydrated ball, called a tun, by retracting their head and legs. If reintroduced to water, the tardigrade can come back to life in just a few hours.
While in cryptobiosis, tardigrades’ metabolic activity gets as low as 0.01 percent of normal levels, and their organs are protected by a sugary gel called trehalose. They also seem to make a large amount of antioxidants, which may be another way to protect vital organs. Water bears also produce a protein that protects their DNA from radiation damage, according to research by the University of Tokyo.
In cold temperatures, they form into a special tun that prevents the growth of ice crystals.
Tardigrades reproduce through sexual and asexual reproduction, depending on the species. They lay one to 30 eggs at a time. During sexual reproduction, the female will lay the eggs and the males will fertilize them. In asexual reproduction, the female will lay the eggs and then they will develop without fertilization.
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