Dehydration helps survive freezing: Arctic springtail

The body of the Arctic springtail protects from freezing temperatures via protective dehydration.

Biomimicry Taxonomy

	Maintain physical integrity >
	Manage structural forces >
	Extreme temperature

Biomimetic Application Ideas

Emulate this process to help prevent agricultural items from freezing.

[Collapse all sections] Summary

"To survive the harsh cold of Arctic winters, animals living there have to get creative. The tiny, humpbacked arthropod known as the 'springtail' is no exception. Scientists have discovered it loses water and shrivels up in a process known as protective dehydration.

"Melody Clark of the British Antarctic Survey and colleagues studied the Arctic springtail Onychiurus arcticus, which is an arthropod that looks like a tiny insect. They found that springtails release the water in their body to avoid damage caused by freezing. Despite their unhealthy appearance, the bugs remain very much alive.

"'During this process the body loses all its water and you end up with a normal-looking head, and a body which looks like a crumpled up crisp [chip] packet when it is fully dehydrated,' says Clark. 'But add a drop of water and it all goes back to normal.' Clark presented the findings in April, at the Society for Experimental Biology annual meeting in Glasgow, UK." (Khamsi 2007)

About the inspiring organism

Onychiurus
Onychiurus

Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist

Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Emulate this process to help prevent agricultural items from freezing.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Agriculture, medical

Experts

British Antarctic Survey
Melody Clark

References

Khamsi, Roxanne. 2007. Dehydration helps bugs survive arctic freeze. New Scientist. April 6:

Dehydration helps survive freezing: Arctic springtail

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