Credit: All photos courtesy of Jan Derksen, Radboud University Nijmegen, http://www.vcbio.science.ru.nl/en/virtuallessons/pollenmorphology/
Most living things are killed by dehydration, but pollen has the ability to lose almost all its water and enter a state of suspended animation and then soak up water and revive. Top row, cedar pollen dehydrated and moist. Bottom row, grass pollen dehydrated and moist.