Scientist are studying the creature to see if any helpful knowledge can be gained for use by humans. I can see where growing younger instead of older might appeal to some folks, I don't think I want to sign up for this program just yet. Still, it's something interesting to find out about, right?
What Is The Secret To The Immortality Of Some Jellyfish Species?
Photo credit: Bachware /Wikimedia
The “Benjamin Button” jellyfish has an incredibly unique feature. While they normally reproduce and die in a manner you would expect, if they see serious trauma, they can reverse the aging process and start transforming themselves to a younger state of existence. This allows them to heal from injuries and survive great stress as a species and is currently making them a great threat to the world’s oceans. They are starting to crowd out parts of the oceans, making it difficult for other marine life to propagate and provide proper balance.
While scientists are skeptical that there is any answer to true immortality from jellyfish, others say we mustn’t dismiss the possibility of learning great things from them. These jellyfish can reactivate earlier programs encoded into their DNA and also switch cells to almost anything they need to be. If we could learn even a few things from how they can accomplish this, we could potentially use it to fight the spread of cancer. Unfortunately, it may be a long time before we find out if these jellyfish can provide us with that stronger anti-cancer weapon, as there is little if any research currently involved in the study of these amazing creatures.
Imagine that! Learning to live longer from a jellyfish! Pretty wild, I'd say. I got this article from Listverse, so gotta give credit where credit is due.
Coffee out on the patio this morning. Don't worry...no jellyfish around here!
