Turritopsis dohrnii, often called the "immortal jellyfish," is a small species of jellyfish native to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of Japan.
What makes it remarkable is its ability to revert from its adult medusa stage back to the polyp stage, which is the earliest phase in its life cycle.
This biological reversal, known as transdifferentiation, allows the jellyfish to effectively bypass death under certain conditions like physical damage, starvation, or environmental stress.
In doing so, it resets its biological clock, potentially allowing it to repeat this cycle indefinitely—a unique trait not observed in other animals.
However, while Turritopsis dohrnii can theoretically live forever, in practice, they still fall prey to disease, predation, or other environmental threats. Thus, they are biologically immortal but not invulnerable.
The discovery of this ability has intrigued scientists studying aging and regenerative medicine, though it's worth noting that much of the research is still in early stages and more lab-based than ecological.
Turritopsis dohrnii, often called the "immortal jellyfish," is a small species of jellyfish native to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of Japan.
What makes it remarkable is its ability to revert from its adult medusa stage back to the polyp stage, which is the earliest phase in its life cycle.
This biological reversal, known as transdifferentiation, allows the jellyfish to effectively bypass death under certain conditions like physical damage, starvation, or environmental stress.
In doing so, it resets its biological clock, potentially allowing it to repeat this cycle indefinitely—a unique trait not observed in other animals.
However, while Turritopsis dohrnii can theoretically live forever, in practice, they still fall prey to disease, predation, or other environmental threats. Thus, they are biologically immortal but not invulnerable.
The discovery of this ability has intrigued scientists studying aging and regenerative medicine, though it's worth noting that much of the research is still in early stages and more lab-based than ecological.