28/07/2025
While every living being on Earth eventually grows old and dies, there is one tiny sea dweller that seems to have outsmarted nature itself. Say hello to Turritopsis dohrnii, the so-called immortal jellyfish, a creature that doesn’t just survive, it resets.
This jellyfish, no larger than your pinky nail, has baffled scientists with an astonishing biological trick. When faced with extreme stress, injury, starvation, or even the natural process of aging, it doesn’t die. Instead, it reverts its body to a much younger state, back to its juvenile polyp stage. It’s the only known species capable of essentially starting its life cycle again, over and over. This regenerative process, called transdifferentiation, involves transforming one type of cell into another, allowing the jellyfish to rebuild itself from scratch.
Discovered in the Mediterranean Sea but now found in oceans around the world, Turritopsis dohrnii is being closely studied by scientists hoping to unlock the secrets of aging, cellular regeneration, and maybe even longevity in humans. While it’s far from granting us eternal youth, the jellyfish’s cellular abilities provide real clues into how life and aging work on a molecular level.
Could this humble jellyfish hold the key to extending life or curing degenerative diseases? Researchers are just beginning to understand its full potential.
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