Summary
A jellyfish named Turritopsis dohrnii can reverse its life cycle when faced with stress, effectively "cheating death." Researchers believe studying this jellyfish could help develop new medical therapies to heal damaged tissues and organs.
Key Facts
- Turritopsis dohrnii is a jellyfish capable of rejuvenating its life cycle.
- It was discovered that this jellyfish could reverse its aging process about 100 years after it was first found in 1883.
- This process is called transdifferentiation, where adult jellyfish turn into a ball of tissue and then grow into a new polyp.
- The rejuvenation process takes about 24 to 36 hours.
- Jellyfish colonies were able to naturally rejuvenate themselves up to 10 times over two years.
- This ability involves activating many genes related to cell regeneration and repair.
- Other cnidarians, like corals and Hydra, also show similar rejuvenation abilities.
- While termed "immortal," these jellyfish can still fall prey to other sea animals.
