Thursday, June 15, 2017

The Secret to Immortality

A small Jellyfish found back in the 1880's is getting another inspection.
Scientists have identified this jelly as Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the "Immortal Jellyfish."
Immortal Jellyfish
This jellyfish utilizes a process known as transdifferentiation, which, when injured, can return to a previous stage in its life and regenerate cells. It can also repurpose cells, taking adult cells which are specialized for one task and giving them a new job. Seeing how this can go on indefinitely, this is one of the few, if only organism that is declared essentially "biologically immortal."
AMNH. "The Immortal Jellyfish." American Museum of Natural History. AMNH, 5 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 June 2017. <http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-immortal-jellyfish/>.

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