You’re Born, You Die – Unless You’re a Jellyfish

Marine biologists say jellyfish numbers are shooting up because they don’t have to die.

Imagine how crowded the earth would be if humans were the same!

Yet, after observing how the Turripopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile state after mating and becoming sexually mature, researchers say they will work to apply that to humans as a super anti-aging technology.

This particular jellyfish are originally from the Caribbean but now have spread worldwide. It happens to be the only known animal that can revert to its younger self.

It’s called transdifferentiation, a cell differentiation process. It appears the cycle repeats over and over, making the creature potentially immortal. This is quite different from other jellyfish species who die after propagating. This one is quite tiny, only 5mm long.

With all the excitement nowadays about things like HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and supplements to restore youth, it’s amazing that this study called the “Reversing the Life Cycle” (authored by Christian Sommer) and published in 1988 was barely noticed outside academia.

However, just like HGH research and many other anti-aging technologies, much has been learned about the jellyfish in the past 25 years.

For example, now we know that the rejuvenation of this particular jellyfish is generally caused by environmental stress or physical assault. During rejuvenation, one type cell is converted into another-a very convenient ability to have. You may recognize that as behavior similar to stem cell technology. For some reason, there has been a tremendous spread in the population, transported in the ballasts of ships, and now is found thriving in every ocean of he world.

Sommer made his discovery while conducting research on small invertebrates that look like either a jellyfish or a soft coral. He would go snorkeling, gathering them with plankton nets.

Keeping the specimens in petri dishes and observing their reproduction habits, Sommer noticed the Turritopsis dohrnii was behaving very odd. Essentially, this species refused to die. In fact, it did the complete opposite, seeming to age in reverse, getting younger and younger until it reached its early stage of development, then began its life cycle anew.

That’s a big improvement over all the HGH supplements out there that just promise you nicer hair and skin, maybe some weight loss and an improved sex life.

The jellyfish actually gets young, and who wouldn’t want to relive their youth? (Assuming we didn’t forget all the lessons we learned growing up?)