Mother Nature has a very stubborn character. She always tries to conquer any harsh conditions created by the relentless forces of our planet, and it is in such extreme conditions, the ingenuity of the natural world can contemplate in all its glory. In the overwhelming number of cases, nature seems smarter than any scientist who invents a means of survival and that can be a source of inspiration for man's desire to conquer any harsh conditions. Below is a ten striking examples of adaptations of animals to extreme temperatures and other adverse conditions:
1. Arctic fish
Fish are poikilothermic organisms, or simply put, cold-blooded animals, which means that the lower the temperature of their surroundings, the more difficult for them to maintain their metabolic functions. Moreover, as the temperature decreases the ice crystals formed in the cells of the organism and thus, the animal may get irreparably damage that ultimately lead to death. However, despite the fact that arctic fish do not have the luxury of its own heat generation as a body seal and other marine mammals who live in the same ice-cold water, they seem to thrive, and the manner in which they manage, baffled scientists for a long time.
explanation was found in recent years as an antifreeze protein was detected, which prevents the formation of ice crystals in their blood. However, exactly how this protein works, it was discovered only three years ago in a study conducted by the company «Volkswagen» (yep, a car manufacturer). Protein prevents the formation of ice in the surrounding molecules, thereby allowing the cells to continue their life cycle. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the protein slows down the water molecules that are usually found in a state of continuous movements, similar to the dance. This prevents the formation and breaking of links that are required for the formation of ice. A similar protein was found in several species of beetles that live at high altitudes or in close proximity to the Arctic circle.
2. Freezing for survival
Arctic fishes avoid freezing, but other animals have evolved in such a way as to completely freeze, in order to survive in the cold season. As paradoxical as it may sound, but several species of frogs and turtles is almost completely frozen and carried out in such a state through the winter. Curiously, they freeze until solid state and if you throw a frozen, but a live frog in the window - it is immediately broken, as if struck a piece of ice. Then the frog miraculously thawed back to living as during the spring. This outstanding way to survive the winter due to the fact that urea and glucose (which is formed from the conversion of glycogen in the liver, which occurs before freezing) limit the amount of ice and reduce the osmotic shrinkage of cells that would otherwise cause the death of the animal. In other words, the sugar can survive frog. However, their resistance has its limits: although they look completely frozen solid, animals can not survive if frozen more than 65 percent of the water in their body.
3. Chemical heat
We are still in a world of cold-blooded animals. Most of us have learned the lessons of physics, the smaller the object is, the harder to keep him warm. Moreover, we know that cold-blooded animals are usually quite sluggish and only capable of short bursts of energy. However, the insects, although it poikilothermal beings are very active and they reach their energy, the heat generating body by chemical or mechanical means, usually by rapid and permanent muscular movements. We can draw a parallel between insects and warming the diesel engine in the winter, before launching it. They do this not only to generate the energy required to maintain the flight, but also to protect against the cold in winter, for example, the bees gather together and shiver to keep warm.
4. Encystation
Protozoa, bacteria and spores, as well as certain nematodes, encystment is used (which is the entry into a state of suspended animation, and separation from the outside world using a solid cell wall) to withstand adverse conditions for long periods of time. Very long periods of time.
In fact, that's why encystment and is one of the most outstanding achievements of the natural world: scientists have been able to revive the bacteria and spores, whose age has reached millions of years old - the oldest of which was about 250 million years (yes, she was older than dinosaurs). Encystation may well be the only way by which the Jurassic Park can become a reality. On the other hand, imagine what would happen if scientists revive the virus from which the human body is no defense ...
5. Natural radiators
Maintaining freshness is a problem in tropical areas, especially when it comes to large or the more energetic animals. Natural radiators are an effective way to reduce the temperature of the body, such as the ears of elephants and rabbits are full of blood vessels, and help the animals cool in the heat of his body. The rabbits were living in the Arctic regions is much smaller ears, like the woolly mammoth nature made them little ears to protect them from the cold. Radiators also met in the prehistoric world, such as Dimetrodon animals that lived during the Permian period, or, according to some scientists, the dinosaurs belonging to the family of Stegosaurus whose plates were saturated with blood vessels to facilitate heat transfer.
6 . Megatermiya
Too large size can be a disadvantage for the creatures living in the tropics, as they constantly need to reduce the temperature of the body. However, in the frigid waters, a large cold-blooded creatures can thrive and be energetic enough. The prerequisite for this is the size: megatermiya is the ability to generate heat by body mass, this phenomenon occurs in the leatherback sea turtle (the largest tortoises in the world), or in large sharks such as the great white shark or mako shark. This increase in body temperature allows these creatures to be quite vigorous in cold waters - in fact, leatherback sea turtles are the fastest reptiles in the world, capable of speeds up to 32 kilometers an hour in a short spurt.
7. Changing the properties of the blood
In order to survive in extreme conditions, some animals have developed different types of blood: for example, the sperm whale and the bar-headed goose Asia. Both of these species have an uncanny ability to store a lot more oxygen in the blood cells than other animals. However, they require that for different reasons have sperm whale hold their breath for a long time due to the fact that it is immersed to a greater depth in search of food. Mountain goose is necessary to maintain vigorous flight over the Himalayan mountain range, and at the altitudes at which it is flying in the air contains very little oxygen.
8. Respiratory adaptation
In tropical and equatorial regions of the changing seasons can lead to disaster for many animals. The rainy season can mean frequent floods, in which many land animals lose their lives, while the dry season is the lack of water, which, of course, bad for everyone. Among the animals to ensure the survival of which nature has gone to great lengths are fish that breathe air. Many of us have heard about the lungfish fish related to the superorder lungfish, which creates a slimy bag to protect themselves from the drought, but some types of catfish and eels not only breathe air, but are able to travel on land between water bodies. These fish are able to obtain oxygen from the air than through the lungs or gills, but through the use of special areas of their intestines.
9. Life in Hell
Since their discovery, hydrothermal vents have refuted many of the theories that scientists have advanced relatively deep sea life. The water temperature surrounding these vents above the boiling point, but the water pressure at these depths prevents any appearance of bubbles. From hydrothermal vents are constantly thrown hydrogen sulfide, which is highly toxic to most life forms. However, these hellish vents are often surrounded by colonies of different natural organisms, most of which are obviously thriving in toxic, sunless world. These creatures are able to cope with the lack of sunlight (which, as we know, is an important part of most forms of life, as it triggers the synthesis of vitamin D), and with an incredibly high temperatures. Based on the fact that many deep-sea creatures that live around the vents are quite primitive from an evolutionary point of view, scientists are now trying to find out whether these vents real conditions of the origin of life, which first appeared about 3.5 billion years ago.
10. Brave colonization
It should be noted that this item of our list still does not have a thorough scientific explanation: one parrot species endemic Nicaragua, Mexican aratinga (Aratinga holochlora) nests in the crater of the volcano Masaya (Masaya volcano). The inexplicable part is that the crater is constantly releasing sulfurous gases, which are quite deadly. How can these parrots nest in an environment that can easily kill humans and other animals in a few minutes, still remains a mystery to scientists, and it proves that Mother Nature, in her determination to conquer space, not afraid of any obstacles . Whereas the fauna inhabiting the vicinity of deep-sea vents, there were millions of years of evolution to adapt to life in such an environment, green parrots Masaya volcano started to keep this way of life recently in evolutionary terms. By studying these kinds of brave, a person can gain a better understanding of how the miracle of the universe - evolution, as Charles Darwin observed the finches of the Galapagos Islands during his stay on board «Beagle»