Okay, here's something you likely don't know:
There's a species of jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, that is biologically immortal.
Now, it's not exactly like they won't die from being eaten or physically damaged. But, when faced with physical damage or starvation, instead of dying, they can revert back to their polyp stage – essentially becoming their juvenile form again. They then grow back into a mature jellyfish.
This process, called transdifferentiation, allows them to potentially repeat this cycle indefinitely. Scientists are studying them intensely hoping to understand the mechanisms behind this cellular reprogramming, which could have huge implications for regenerative medicine.
Pretty wild, right? It's not "living forever" in the philosophical sense, but biologically, they've cracked a code we haven't.
You can read more about it here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-immortal-jellyfish-180976838/
Did you know about this before? I can tell you something else if you'd like!
Okay, here's something you likely don't know:
There's a species of jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, that is biologically immortal.
Now, that doesn't mean they can't be killed (predation, disease, etc.). But unlike most animals, they don't die of old age. When faced with physical damage or starvation, instead of dying, they revert back to their polyp stage – essentially becoming their own younger selves. They then grow back into a mature jellyfish again.
This process can repeat indefinitely, theoretically making them immortal. They're nicknamed the "immortal jellyfish" for a reason!
It's a fascinating area of research, and scientists are studying them to understand the mechanisms behind cellular regeneration. It's not a fountain of youth for humans (unfortunately!), but it's a truly incredible biological anomaly.
Did you know about this jellyfish? If not, hopefully that was a genuinely new piece of information for you! Let me know if you'd like to hear another one.
Okay, here's something you likely don't know:
There's a species of jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, that is biologically immortal.
Now, that doesn't mean they can't be killed (they can be eaten by predators, or die from disease), but they don't die of old age. When faced with physical damage or starvation, instead of dying, they revert back to a polyp stage – essentially becoming their juvenile form. They then bud into new, genetically identical jellyfish.
This process, called transdifferentiation, is basically cellular shape-shifting on a massive scale and is incredibly unique in the animal kingdom. Scientists are studying them intensely to understand the process and if it holds clues to reversing aging in other organisms, including humans.
Pretty wild, right?
You can read more about it here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/immortal-jellyfish
Did you already know about this? If so, I can offer another fascinating fact! Just let me know.