Question 3
Original source text (the exact panel preserves diagram labels, tables and choices):
Tardigrades are microscopic invertebrates with a real-life superpower. The
tardigrade's ability to survive extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to boiling
hot, is primarily due to a state of dormancy called "cryptobiosis". In this state, the
tardigrade expels nearly all the water from its body. What is the main scientific
reason that removing water is a crucial step for surviving freezing temperatures?
Source: https://k-5impactnewsg4-5.mheducation.com/2025/02/14/
tardigrades-the-tiny-invertebrates-with-a-real-life-superpower/
A. The tardigrade's body can produce a special antifreeze protein that works best
in a water-free environment.
B. Removing water lowers the tardigrade's core temperature, which helps it to
endure the cold.
C. Water is a good conductor of heat, so its absence insulates the tardigrade from
the cold.
D. The removal of water prevents the formation of sharp ice crystals, which would
otherwise rupture and destroy the tardigrade's cell membranes.
Tardigrades are microscopic invertebrates with a real-life superpower. The
tardigrade's ability to survive extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to boiling
hot, is primarily due to a state of dormancy called "cryptobiosis". In this state, the
tardigrade expels nearly all the water from its body. What is the main scientific
reason that removing water is a crucial step for surviving freezing temperatures?
Source: https://k-5impactnewsg4-5.mheducation.com/2025/02/14/
tardigrades-the-tiny-invertebrates-with-a-real-life-superpower/
A. The tardigrade's body can produce a special antifreeze protein that works best
in a water-free environment.
B. Removing water lowers the tardigrade's core temperature, which helps it to
endure the cold.
C. Water is a good conductor of heat, so its absence insulates the tardigrade from
the cold.
D. The removal of water prevents the formation of sharp ice crystals, which would
otherwise rupture and destroy the tardigrade's cell membranes.