Adaptations in desiccation tolerant plants

Life without water is a miracle on earth and often acts as a bridge between severe drought and well water conditions. It requires a coordinated series of events during dehydration that are associated with preventing oxidative damage and maintaining the native structure of macromolecules and membranes. "Drought tolerance" can be considered the tolerance of moderate dehydration, while "desiccation tolerance" generally refers to the tolerance of further dehydration when the hydration shell of molecules is gradually lost. Desiccation tolerance includes the ability of cells to resurrect after being successfully rehydrated. Desiccation-tolerant plants are capable of withstanding severe water loss and almost complete desiccation while maintaining some metabolic functions and the ability to quickly restore normal physiological activity upon rehydration.