The Immortal Jellyfish [View all]

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From AI


The immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) is a small, biologically immortal jellyfish that can reverse its life cycle, potentially living forever by reverting to its juvenile polyp stage when stressed or damaged. This process, called transdifferentiation, allows it to transform from an adult medusa back into a cyst and then a polyp, effectively starting its life over. While it can avoid death from old age, it is still vulnerable to predators, disease, and environmental factors.
Key characteristics
Scientific Name: Turritopsis dohrnii
Size: Tiny, about 4–5 mm in diameter
Habitat: Found worldwide in temperate to tropical waters
Diet: Carnivorous, feeding on zooplankton, fish eggs, larvae, and small mollusks
The "immortality" process (Transdifferentiation)
Stress/Damage: When faced with physical harm, starvation, or aging, the adult jellyfish shrinks and reabsorbs its tentacles.
Cyst Formation: It settles on the seafloor as a blob-like cyst.
Polyp Development: The cyst develops into a new polyp, which is the base stage of the jellyfish life cycle.
Regrowth: The polyp then buds off new, genetically identical adult jellyfish (medusae), starting the cycle anew.
Scientific significance
This unique ability to revert cells to a younger state makes it a subject of intense scientific interest for research into aging and regeneration.