A sea creature just a few millimeters long continues to amaze the scientific world with a unique ability: instead of dying when it gets old or injured, it reverts to the “baby” stage and resumes its life cycle. The jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii is the only known animal capable of defying aging.
While humans invest billions of dollars in research aimed at extending life, nature seems to have long ago found a solution. The jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii, also called the “immortal jellyfish”, is the only known species that can reverse the aging process and return to a juvenile stage whenever it is subjected to stressful conditions, writes the guardian.
According to marine biologist Maria Pia Miglietta, a professor at Texas A&M University, this jellyfish reacts in a very unusual way when faced with high temperatures, lack of food, injuries or other adverse conditions.
“When you try to kill this jellyfish, it doesn’t die,” eexplains the researcher, who has been studying the species for several years.
How he manages to cheat death
Unlike most jellyfish, which are born from larvae, turn into polyps, then adult jellyfish, reproduce and die, Turritopsis dohrnii can completely reset its existence.
The process, known as cell transdifferentiation, allows it to transform adult cells into other types of cells. After apparently decaying and sinking to the bottom of the water, the jellyfish’s body contracts into a small sphere. In just 24-48 hours, it forms a new polyp, genetically identical to the adult specimen.
The phenomenon is compared by researchers to a butterfly that would turn back into a caterpillar to begin its development once again.
It can theoretically live indefinitely
In laboratory conditions, scientists say that the jellyfish can repeat this process an unlimited number of times, which means that it does not die of aging. In the natural environment, however, she is not invincible. It can be eaten by predators or perish due to other external factors.
That’s why specialists prefer to talk about a “nbiological emulation”, not about an absolute.
Although only a few millimeters long, Turritopsis dohrnii can be found in many regions of the globe, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and near the coasts of Japan, Panama and Brazil.
What scientists hope to find out
The mechanism by which this jellyfish completely transforms its cells is one of the most interesting research topics in modern biology.
Specialists are trying to understand how cell transdifferentiation works and whether this process could, in the future, provide important clues for regenerative medicine, tissue repair or slowing down the effects of aging.
For now, however, the secret of the immortal jellyfish remains unique in the animal world.
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