Fluctuations in environmental factors such as temperature and humidity lead to an imbalance between the influx of water and its loss through evaporation in living systems. Under environmental dehydration bouts, few plants and animals possess the ability to persist in the desiccated form followed by resumption of metabolism upon rehydration. The discovery of the phenomenon of desiccation tolerance dates back to the eighteenth century when Leeuwenhoek reported the revival of 'dry animalcules'. This fascination subsequently led to the identification of newer desiccation-tolerant model systems.
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