'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world

[Galactus]

An 'immortal' jellyfish is swarming through the world's oceans, according to scientists.

Last Updated: 1:31PM GMT 30 Jan 2009


The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.

Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.

Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion."

The jellyfish are originally from the Caribbean but have spread all over the world.

Turritopsis Nutricula is technically known as a hydrozoan and is the only known animal that is capable of reverting completely to its younger self.

It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation.

Scientists believe the cycle can repeat indefinitely, rendering it potentially immortal.

While most members of the jellyfish family usually die after propagating, the Turritopsis nutricula has developed the unique ability to return to a polyp state.

Having stumbled upon the font of eternal youth, this tiny creature which is just 5mm long is the focus of many intricate studies by marine biologists and geneticists to see exactly how it manages to literally reverse its aging process

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I'm sure there are quite a number of Hollywood Stars who are interested in this jellyfish.

 

[Mike_D202]

I see a lot of gene splicing and cell research before we have the world's first immortal rat in a lab.

 

[Raiden]

I'm sure the scientists will use this jellyfish as their focus for their genome project to try to find out where their age-reversing gene can from, and whether they can duplicate the process. This could be the Fountain of Youth mankind of been looking for.

 

[Mike_D202]

^^^ only you have to have sex in order to regain your youth.

I wonder if that same effect could be used for chronic *********ion.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Jellyfish heaven is not like Japan.
Jellyfish heaven is not like Thailand.
Jellyfish heaven is a lot like L.A.

 

[Tyrinus]

Even if it couldn't make a person regain their youth, the cellular regeneration would be immensely useful towards healing wounds and maybe even degenerative diseases.

 

[Arcturus]

I remember seeing a nature show about Jellyfish on the Discovery channel, and their abilities of 'immortality'. This is indeed very fascinating, and the implications it may have.

But for the sake of it being said, somehow I can imagine that when it comes time for human trials, zombie chaos will follow.

 

[Carcharodon]

I'm not sure how much I buy into the idea of "immortality," based on this process. I know this process very well, and it seems like this article and the popular interpretation of this phenomenon may be a bit off from reality. I say that because I notice a distinct difference in the word choice of the scientists and that of the interjected commentary of the author.

There needs to be a distinction made between whether oxidative damage (likely the ultimate cause of aging) is being reversed or eliminated and whether, on the other hand, these individual organisms are simply able to alternate their life-cycles until they do in fact die, and it also needs to be determined whether the effect of rejuvenation is complete or more and more limited each time the process is repeated. I don't know any of that, so I'd love to hear this from the biologists' perspective. t:

 

[The Battousai]

Saw a program about this about a year or two ago - very interesting

 

[RootBeerMaster]

Thats cool, I didn't know a jellyfish could do that. Wonder how long it will before some idoit get the brilliant Idea to splice Jellyfish DNA with Human DNA, to try to make humans live forever, that will surely end badly.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Didn't they already splice jellyfish DNA with a goat? and make a glow in the dark goat?

 

[Space Moose]

^^^ only you have to have sex in order to regain your youth.

I wonder if that same effect could be used for chronic *********ion.

Aren't Witches supposed to regain youth through sex?

 

[Asteroid-Man]

That's funny, cause I came across this yesterday. There's also a potion out there that can render yeast immortal.

 

[Mike_D202]

Aren't Witches supposed to regain youth through sex?

I think thats a succubus.

 

[Gilpesh]

-Doctor Who reference-

 

[Firm18]

I have no idea but it looks scary.

When I was younger me and my friend went diving into a bay and we came across about 100 jellyfish, we had to avoid them. I don't think I could do this today tough.

 

[Troy_Parker]

The jellyfish apocalypse is upon us, REPENT! REPENT!!



t:




but seriously, this is really cool

 

[04nbod]

by the time they do work this out for humans we will all be dead. It is the way of things

 

[michephantom]

M. Night Shamalan will make a movie about this...

 

[TNC9852002]

I remember seeing a nature show about Jellyfish on the Discovery channel, and their abilities of 'immortality'. This is indeed very fascinating, and the implications it may have.

But for the sake of it being said, somehow I can imagine that when it comes time for human trials, zombie chaos will follow.

Yep. Scientists will always agree that in about a million years down the road, jellyfish variants will rule the seas.

-TNC

 

[FaT_tONle]

M. Night Shamalan will make a movie about this...

A waterworld epic is exactly what he needs... follow the steps of Cameron in a way.

 

[DeGenerate10]

There can be only one jellyfish

 

[The Geek Vault]

An 'immortal' jellyfish is swarming through the world's oceans, according to scientists.

Last Updated: 1:31PM GMT 30 Jan 2009


The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.

Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.

Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion."

The jellyfish are originally from the Caribbean but have spread all over the world.

Turritopsis Nutricula is technically known as a hydrozoan and is the only known animal that is capable of reverting completely to its younger self.

It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation.

Scientists believe the cycle can repeat indefinitely, rendering it potentially immortal.

While most members of the jellyfish family usually die after propagating, the Turritopsis nutricula has developed the unique ability to return to a polyp state.

Having stumbled upon the font of eternal youth, this tiny creature which is just 5mm long is the focus of many intricate studies by marine biologists and geneticists to see exactly how it manages to literally reverse its aging process

what site did you get this at?

 

[SuperFerret]

There can be only one jellyfish

How do you behead one?