...We chose this topic because tardigrades have a very unique way to live and reproduce, so it would be interesting to see how and if they can reproduce in microgravity. This is important to scientists and astronauts because this will show them if tardigrades can evolve and change structure, and if they can start a new evolution of animals on another planet. This could also make them understand if life is common on any other planet. When they lay their eggs on earth they turn into a centipede like animals, but what will the turn into when the are in microgravity? Will they evolve? Will they reform? Will they have a hard time doing something they could easily do on earth? The reason that this idea is vital and will assist mankind is because it will be able to prove that life can be that common on other planets. If they are able to live in space, then they may be able to seed planets with life. As...
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...Nevertheless, there are multiple processes which occur as a Tardigrade prepares itself for this state. It will begin to produce trehalose, described in depth as a, “special protective sugar that forms a gel-like medium that suspends and perseveres the organelles and membranes that make up the animal’s cells.” (Bradford) To simplify, trehalose wraps around the remaining water molecules in the body, to prevent evaporation in a sporadic temperature increase, and further preserve the Tardigrade. Some theorize this technique of survival was only acquired by some Tardigrades. But due to their unbelievably small size, the sugar may also just be undetectable. Tardigrades continue to find ways to push their survival, defying all odds. Considering...
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...suggests that this idea may have more truth to it than some may believe. In order for life to have come to earth from somewhere else in the universe, it would have had to survive the harshest environment we know of; space. These organisms would have been exposed to massive amounts of radiation, extremely cold temperatures (nearly -273.15ºC), and extreme atmospheric pressure1. When we think of organisms that thrive in the harshest environments on earth we think of extremophiles, and perhaps the most renowned and complex extremophile is the tardigrade. These dry aquatic invertebrates are known to be one of the most resilient species on earth and have received a lot of attention from researchers regarding their potential to survive in space2. Proving that tardigrades have the ability to survive outer space, demonstrates the possibility that life could have traveled through space for extended periods of time without dying. “tardigrades in Space (TARDIS), for example, was the first project planned to evaluate their ability to survive in space. In September 2007 Ingemar Jönsson from the...
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...Landscape Ecol (2009) 24:375–390 DOI 10.1007/s10980-008-9312-x RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of macro and micro-environmental factors on the species richness of terrestrial tardigrade assemblages in an Iberian mountain environment ´ ´ Noemı Guil Æ Joaquın Hortal Æ ´ nchez-Moreno Æ Annie Machordom Sara Sa Received: 1 November 2007 / Accepted: 20 November 2008 / Published online: 4 December 2008 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008 Abstract Tardigrade communities are affected by micro and macro-environmental conditions but only micro-environmental variables, and altitudinal gradients have been studied. We review previous reports of altitudinal effects and evaluate the influence by interacting macro- (climate, soils, biome, and others) and micro-environmental (vegetation, moss and leaf litter) factors on tardigrade assemblages at the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range (Iberian Central System Mountains, Spain). Terrestrial tardigrade assemblages were sampled using standard cores to N. Guil (&) Zoological Museum, Natural History Museum, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen DK-2100, OE, Denmark e-mail: nguillopez@gmail.com J. Hortal NERC Centre for Population Biology, Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK J. Hortal Á A. Machordom ´ Departmento de Biodiversidad y Biologıa Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain ´ S. Sanchez-Moreno ´ Departamento de Proteccion...
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...Are Homo Sapiens really the smartest species on Earth, and if so, is this sufficient to ensure its long‐ term survival? Submitted by: Andrew Jara Submitted to: Heidi White Course: AST 251H1 Due Date: March 12, 2013 1 As time passes, the Earth and all its inhabitants grow older, one must ask that as the number of inhabitants are increasing and the amount of resources decreasing, whether or not the human race will be able to withstand extinction. The parameters of human intelligence can be used to define and determine the possibility of this outcome. Humans are believed to have the title of being the most dominant and intelligent species on the face of the Earth, but there is much competition for that title today and arguments arise within the scientific community. Humans believe that they are separated from all other species based on the concept of intelligence and how they have used intelligence to their advantage to create language, technology and many other things to ultimately establish themselves as a successful species. In order to actually prove that humans rightfully deserve that title, one must delve into the debate of intelligence to clarify the meaning and understanding of intelligence. This will provide evidence to the argument on whether or not the human species will be viable in the long-term. In the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, intelligence is defined as the ability to collect and apply certain knowledge and information from the external environment...
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...JUNIOR 1 S Y 2000 - 2 0 0 1 V o l . 20 N o . 1 C O N T E N FOR LOVE OF DIAMONDS These brilliant gems are not only for fashion but find many uses in other industries as well. CHEMISTRY: BUILDING BLOCKS OF MODERN CIVILIZATION Understand the significance of chemistry throughout man’s history. NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY: TOWARDS A SAFE ENERGY SOURCE Is nuclear technology a boon or bane of science? Read on. T S ib er s, De ar BB su bs cr ng ga zin e is ma ki Ba to Ba la ni ma e ma ga zin e. to yo ur fa vo rit lled so me ch an ge s a new section ca c g the changes is Amon s wi th sc ie nt ifi .” It de al “P se ud os ci en ce pt io ns th at an d mi sc on ce ve no tio ns , my th s, e. Al so , we ha pu la r at on e tim we re po ” se ct io n to “C yb er wo rld ex pa nd ed ou r ac tiv ity se ct io n. e a we b- lin ke d in cl ud wi ll th es e ch an ge s We ho pe th at re nc e stu di es mo ur sc ie he lp ma ke yo jo y! re fu n! En re le va nt an d mo Th e Ed ito r MEDICINE’S POTENT MIXTURES AND SOLUTIONS Chemistry plays a major role in our existence through important medical applications. R E G U L A R F E AT U R E S 3 Science & Technology News 5 Filipino Scientists and Inventors BOARD OF ADVISERS Violeta Arciaga, Jaime F. Bucoy Jose C. Calderon, Victoria V. Cervantes, Juanita M. Cruz, Belen P. Dayauon Medical Facts and Fallacies 9 Livelihood Technology / I’d Like to Know 10 Cyber World CONSULTANT ...
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