Medieval bestiaries offer us a theoretical explanation of the essence of every living being. Wild animals symbolize different aspects of human nature: the fox is cunning and deceitful, the dove is the symbol of peace, and the wolf means war.
Sea creatures are also affected there. Leviathans, dolphins, sea unicorns - mythical animals are endowed with all kinds of properties, but none has immortality. Meanwhile, on Earth, there really is only one species that is able to live forever. Meet Turritopsis dohrnii, the immortal jellyfish!
What it is
The small jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii has a dome diameter of only 4.5 mm. Actually, this species can be called a kind of zooplankton, with which the jellyfish prefers to migrate. For the first time, scientists discovered Turritopsis dohrnii at the beginning of this century, and a few years ago they came to an amazing conclusion: it can live forever.
Where dwells
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The species originated in the Caribbean Sea, but a long time ago spread literally to the entire globe. Turritopsis dohrnii has been found both in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Japan. Scientists at the Smithsonian Maritime Institute say, half in jest, that this jellyfish is the beginning of a space invasion. In every joke, of course, there is a grain of a joke: there is simply no second such organism on Earth.
Immortality
It is important to understand that we are not talking about absolute immortality. Destroying such a small creature is easy. However, this particular species is able to do something that no one else can repeat. Any other species of jellyfish lives up to several months: Turritopsis dohrnii, falling into unfavorable conditions, simply returns to the very first stage of its development.
Technical explanation
At this stage, the dome and tentacles of the jellyfish stop growing. Instead, the body of Turritopsis dohrnii acquires processes on which feeding polyps grow. To put it bluntly, if Turritopsis dohrnii feels like life is going downhill, it just goes back to its childhood to try again.
Scientists' plans
It is still too early to talk about any benefits that the immortality of Turritopsis dohrnii can bring to our species. However, scientists at Kyoto University are already trying to identify the genome that allows the jellyfish to return to its primitive state. If this succeeds, then, theoretically, a person can also be subjected to genetic modification. How do you like returning to kindergarten as a way out of difficult situations?