靠假死,它們繼承了地球
溫順柔弱的動物能在地球上世世代代得以生存的原因,可能在於它們善於裝死。即使暴露在真空和惡劣的空間輻射之下長達一周以上,水熊蟲這種微觀生物也可以在此之後頑強生還。
這是科學家在2007年將這種1.5毫米長的生物送入太空軌道時發現的。類似的情況還不只發生在水熊蟲身上,一些昆蟲的幼蟲、輪蟲(Rotifera)、線蟲(Nematoda),甚至是滷蟲(Artemia)可以做到看似死亡多年,只要加點水就能 「生還」,還真是海猴子(Sea Monkey)。
除此之外還有極端微生物。抗輻射奇異球菌(Deinococcus radiodurans)可能是地表最強,當高強度的電離輻射破壞了這種微生物的DNA,從各個方面來說它已被「殺死」時,這種生物……[查看全文]
It's Not Dead, It's Resting
One of the ways the meek may inherit the Earth is by cheating death. The microscopic animal known as a water bear can spring back to life—even after being exposed to the vacuum and harsh radiation of space for more than a week.
At least that's what scientists found out when they sent the 1.5-millimeter-long creature into orbit in 2007. Nor are water bears alone. Some insect larvae, rotifers, nematodes and even brine shrimp can be seemingly dead for years, only to be revived by adding water. Sea monkeys indeed.
Then there are the extremophiles.Deinococcus radioduransmay be the toughest. When high levels of ionizing radiation shatter this microorganism's very DNA—killing it for all intents and purposes—its...[full transcript]
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