Résumé
(Text in French)The secrets of resistance in extremophilic tardigrades and their applications. Tardigrade, also named water bears, are tiny organisms up to 1.2 mm long with neurones, muscles, digestive tracts, microbiomes and, for some species, a pair of small eyes as well. They have been walking our planet for 550-600 million years, well before flowering plants existed. When their direct environment becomes harsh, tardigrades can place themselves in a suspended state of life called cryptobiosis. This article discusses the resistance of this extremophilic organism to known stresses such as chemicals, the vacuum of space, temperature, pressure, or radiation as well. Finally, some current biomedical applications arising from tardigrade observations are presented.