Can Immortal Jellyfish Defy Death?

Jellyfish trick to avoid death

(credit to science organization, Australia)

Many researches have been done to delay or reverse of human being aging, but we have no clues until now.

Yes, we might “reduce” negatives effect of old such as deterioration of health. Some methods have been successful to:

- improve cognitive ability

- improve physical performance

How about with other multi cellular creatures? Can they defies death?

Scientists know one tiny creature called as immortal jellyfish which is swimming in the ocean can live forever biologically.

Immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) size is so small just about 4.5 mm in length and width. Hence, barely visible. 

The creatures swim in almost in all oceans, both tropical and temperate seas, but they are abundant in tropical regions.

Immortal jellyfish in the ocean (credit to Krissy Howard)

Their life cycle is following (please see at the first Figure):

- Female medusae produce eggs, and males release sperms. Fertilized eggs develop to be Planula larvae.

- Planula attached to hard substance, then develop to Polyp stage

- Polyp produces “buds,” then develop to Ephyra, a small jellyfish

- Medusa is adult stage of jellyfish to reproduce eggs and sperms, then, back to early life cycle.

The question then: How jellyfish live everlasting?

Above life cycle is in the normal state. If medusa faces extreme conditions (starvation or injury), instead of dead, it reverts to be young phase by broken apart as tiny cells.

Then develop to be polyp, and so on. This process to escape death is called as biologically immortal.