A strange phenomenon that will amaze you... an immortal sea creature that never dies

 

 jellyfish 

A strange phenomenon that will amaze you... an immortal sea creature that never dies

In the vast depths of the ocean, a creature no larger than the tip of a pinky finger is rewriting our understanding of life, aging, and survival. This tiny aquatic organism, called Turritopsis dohrnii, is nicknamed the "immortal jellyfish" for its ability to reverse its life cycle, thus theoretically avoiding death from old age—a biological feat that has astonished scientists and the general public alike, showcasing the ingenuity of nature.

According to the Economic Times , most organisms, from insects to humans, age and eventually die. But the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii, under certain conditions, can reverse its life cycle through a process called metamorphosis.

Unique life cycle

Like other jellyfish, the immortal jellyfish begins its life as a planula larva that settles on a surface, then transforms into a polyp, a fixed form attached to the ocean floor. From these polyps, small jellyfish, the familiar free-swimming jellyfish, detach and grow into adults.

But here's where Turritopsis dohrnii differs from the norm. When this species is subjected to stress, such as hunger, injury, temperature changes, or even old age, it does something that is rare in the animal world: it reverts to an earlier stage of its life instead of dying.

 The title "The Immortal"

In the lab, scientists observed the adult jellyfish shrinking its body, its tentacles deteriorating, and settling on the seabed. Within days, what appeared to be a mass transformed into a new polyp colony capable of producing new jellyfish, genetically identical to the original. This biological transformation is akin to a reboot, earning the species its nickname, "the immortal."

Monte Graham, a jellyfish expert and director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography, once told Reuters that "this species has been able to perform some evolutionary tricks for about 15 to 20 years," explaining how this strange life cycle has intrigued researchers.

 The challenge of natural aging

The term "biological immortality" means that the jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii does not die of natural aging. Its cellular mechanisms allow it to bypass the typical life cycle endpoint that most animals face. In a laboratory environment free of predators and disease, this cycle could theoretically continue indefinitely.

The ability to undergo cellular transformation does not mean these jellyfish are immortal. In the wild, most organisms die before completing a single regression cycle. Predation, disease, environmental changes, and other threats can claim countless lives, meaning that while this species may be able to avoid aging, it likely does not live forever. Thus, as one scientific source points out, the term "immortality" refers to an animal's ability to regenerate itself, not to escaping all dangers of death.

DNA repair

Researchers are particularly interested in how its cells avoid the usual damage and deterioration that leads to aging in most living organisms. The results of some studies have revealed that Turritopsis dohrnii possesses genes associated with DNA repair and cell protection that differ from those found in related species that lack this regenerative capacity.