What Makes 'Immortal Jellyfish' Immortal? Scientists Finally Have The Answer

What makes "immortal jellyfish" immortal? Scientists from Spain seemed to have found a clue. Some jellyfish can repeatedly go back to its early state, and scientists hope to unlock some secrets about ageing by studying this phenomenon.

For this enquiry, scientists have unlocked the genetic code of this immortal jellyfish. The study, published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mapped the genetic sequence of Turritopsis dohrnii, the only known species of jellyfish that is able to return to its larval stage after sexual reproduction.

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What makes this jellyfish species "immortal"?

Most jellyfish, including the Turritopsis dohrnii go through a two-part life cycle. During its asexual phase, jellyfish live on the sea floor to stay alive during food scarcity. When conditions are ideal, jellyfish can also reproduce sexually.

A lot of jellyfish are able reverse ageing and return to their larval phase, but most species lose this ability once they reach sexual maturity, the authors claimed. This is not true for Turritopsis dohrnii.

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The ability to trick evolution has given this fish species its nickname - the immortal jellyfish. To understand why Turritopsis dohrnii species is "immortal," scientists compared its genetic sequence to Turritopsis rubra, a close genetic species that cannot go back to its larval stage after sexual reproduction.

Turritopsis dohrnii apparently has variations in its genome that give it the ability to be better at copying and repairing DNA. In addition, the species is also better at maintaining the ends of certain chromosomes called telomeres. This is peculiarly fascinating because in many species including humans, telomere length shortens with age.

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By studying the processes that make this jellyfish species this way, scientists hope to unlock secrets of ageing that might be of use to human beings.

What do you think about this fascinating study? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Steenhuysen, J. (2022, August 30). Scientists find clues to what makes ¡°immortal jellyfish¡± immortal. Reuters.