After rare desert storms, a mature saguaro cactus can soak up and hold thousands of liters of water inside its pleated trunk.
The vertical pleats along a saguaro's skin unfold as water swells its spongy interior tissue, letting the plant drink deeply during brief downpours and survive months of drought.
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Quick Guess: What purpose do the accordion-like pleats on a saguaro cactus serve?
Verified Answer: Allowing the trunk to expand when soaking up heavy rainwater
Quiz Question: What purpose do the accordion-like pleats on a saguaro cactus serve?
Correct Answer: Allowing the trunk to expand when soaking up heavy rainwater
The pleats unfold smoothly so the cactus can swell with stored water without splitting.
Earth’s largest known animal slows its ~180 kg heart to as few as two beats per minute during deep dives so muscles stay oxygenated without surfacing.
Half-millimeter-long water bears expel over 95% of their body water to enter a glass-like "tun" state, enduring temperatures from -200 °C to 150 °C and space radiation.
Living in sub-zero Antarctic seas, the icefish uses 1 oversized heart to circulate completely clear blood with no hemoglobin or red blood cells.
Trees use microscopic fungal networks around their roots to send sugars to neighbors and warn them of insect attacks.