The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.
Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).
The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders,which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process.
Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They're now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion," says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.
Scary stuff huh, imagine the whole ocean just teeming with these bad boys not something i want. Anyway cya later guys
33 comments:
wow i wonder if there are any other animals like that in the ocean.
That's intense! New shit is being discoved all the time, it's crazy.
wow, neat to read about
I wonder how old some of those things are.
say whaaaat? The ocean just gets weirder and weirder. Glad I live inland.
Wow, that's a new way of considering one's own mortality.
I wish I was a Jellyfish, now...
Goddam mate, it's so very close... We're already working on the amphibian trans-differentiation with human DNA.. The possibilities blow my mind. Awesome find mate, great post.
-JKane
So i says to the jellyfish Oh hai, are you immortal and he said yeah and i squished him.
Oops.
This is by far my favorite news of the day, i hope scientists figure this jelly out :)
wow crazy!
Yeah I'd like to see how long the oldest one of them has been around
Cool post!:D
Supp
lolz jellyfish jellyfish
Cool Story Bro!;)
ohh, very nice pic :)
EXTRACT THE IMMORTAL LIFE GENE!!
Great post, showing some love, keep it up =)
wow just wow .... imagine what we can learn from this!!!
What Im waiting for is scientist's to reverse engineer the transdifferentiation and allow humans to turn back the clock to any point in time in their life.
very nice wild life,
keep it upp
spongebob should be happy when the ocean is full of em , it well make up for the bp oil spill ? and thats cool i like the deep sea, scientist hardly even explored the tip of it yet
woah crap
There's all sorts of crazy things living deep in the ocean, we find new ones all the time
thats crazy i but i dunno if i want to do that. i like being a grown up if you know what i mean
looks amazing.
THEIR CALLED PHOENIX WHEN I DIE I INSTA LIVES AGAINS
As long as people don't figure out a fountain of youth, I'm fine.
watch the sting :P
never swimming in the ocean again
jellfish are amazing, one of my fav creatures
i wish i could be immortal
Gimme dat DNA!
:B
holy shit that thing is creepy
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