The Immortal Jellyfish
Suddenly the years lived by those people before The Flood (according to the Bible) don’t seem so impossible!
The species turritopsis nutricula is able to transform itself from its mature state back into a polyp (immature jellyfish) and then back again – picture a gelatinous ‘Benjamin Button’ on repeat.
…Turritopsis nutricula isn’t the only species to use the technique; salamanders use the process to regrow limbs, while chickens utilize it to repair damaged eyes. Turritopsis nutricula, however, is the only species able to regenerate its entire body.
The entire transformation from adult to polyp takes place very rapidly, helping to explain why it has never been observed in the wild. The process, however, has been observed in the lab, and so far 100 per cent of specimens have been capable of the transformation.
…While the jellyfish can potentially live forever, it’s unlikely that one ever will. That’s because like other jellyfish, Turritopsis nutricula is often eaten by other animals and readily succumbs to disease.
Found at Yahoo Canada via a post on the forum.
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