Immortal beings do actually exist on Earth!
But… it's not quite what you'd expect. There's no fountain of youth, superpower, genetic mutation or special elixir involved - just plain and simple science.
Say hello to the Turritopsis dohrnii, previously known as the Turritopsis nutricula, otherwise known as the “Immortal Jellyfish”.
It's been awarded this title for its fascinating “regenerative” ability. Think Wolverine before the events of 2017’s Logan.
An Immortal Jellyfish's life starts when its eggs are fertilised, just like many other organisms. After a period of time, they grown into their larvae state, the “planula”, before attaching themselves into rocks and becoming columns of “polyps”. Tiny Immortal Jellyfishes will then split off from the tips of these polyps before becoming sexually mature males/females after 2 to 4 weeks.
But this is when things start to get a little bizzare.
When the Immortal Jellyfish's life is threatened, whether it be from a predator attack, starvation or environmental stress, it has the ability to revert itself back into a state before it's sexually mature.
Rather than dying, it attaches itself onto a surface in the ocean and morphs itself into a tiny blob. It does so through a process known as “transdifferentiation”, where cells are able to transform into other cells. Think muscle cells becoming sperm, eggs or other nerve cells. Crazy right?
Once an Immortal Jellyfish undergoes “full bodied transdifferentiation”, it becomes the aforementioned blob, then shifting back to its polyp phase within a span of 3 days. This new genetically identical polyp will then proceed to recreate new, genetically identical jellyfishes, making them the “immortal clones” of the original adult.
What's more, these new versions would've adapted to their new environmental conditions. For instance, those thriving in tropical waters have been found to have 8 tentacles, whereas those in temperate regions have been found with 24 or more. So not only do they return new, they return new and improved.
These are extraordinary creatures with total and complete control over all of their cells, granting them the amazing ability to virtually live forever. That said, since the regeneration process is only possible after sexual maturation, the Immortal Jellyfish is still vulnerable to predators and disease in its polyp stage.
It's still fascinating nonetheless, that these little unassuming creatures could potentially hold the keys to curing cancer, treating other illnesses, or combating ageing altogether. Who knows what secrets of medical science these Immortal Jellyfish could possess for humans? Are we truly able to harness the power of immortality or longevity?
Only time will tell I suppose. I just hope we humans live long enough to discover these secrets for ourselves.
After all, the Immortal Jellyfish won't be leaving this Earth anytime soon.
The four articles I used for researching this article are :
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