Meet the Immortal Jellyfish That Rewinds Its Life to Escape Death

There are so many different types of jellyfish out there, boasting different sizes, shapes, colors, and more. The immortal jellyfish is one of these unique jellyfish with a certain skill not often found in the wild. The immortal jellyfish, true to its name, can revert to its juvenile state! This video by @V101 SPACE looks at the immortal jellyfish. Read below to learn about how the immortal jellyfish can revert to its juvenile state.

About the Immortal Jellyfish

The immortal jellyfish, whose scientific name is Turritopsis dohrnii, is native to the Mediterranean Sea but has spread beyond its original range and has been found in various locations worldwide, particularly in temperate and subtropical waters. These jellyfish are extremely small, roughly four to five millimeters in diameter. They’re so small that they are about the size of a pinky fingernail. Their diet consists of plankton, fish larvae, and other small organisms. They use their tiny tentacles to capture their prey. Their unique ability is their biological immortality, making them vulnerable only to predators and environmental factors like pollution. So how does their immortality work?

What Makes Them Immortal

The process by which the immortal jellyfish reverts to an earlier stage of life is both fascinating and complex. The jellyfish starts as a larva, develops into a polyp, and matures into a medusa (an adult jellyfish). Instead of simply continuing to age, the jellyfish undergoes remarkable transformations. When stressed through factors like injury, starvation, or aging, a process called transdifferentiation occurs. This is a sort of reprogramming where the cells of the jellyfish transform into a different kind of cell. For example, a muscle cell may transform into a nerve cell. When an adult jellyfish experiences one of these stressors, its cells revert to the polyp stage, effectively allowing the jellyfish to start its life cycle anew and making it, in practical terms, biologically immortal.

If these jellyfish are immortal, why aren’t they found everywhere? For one, their populations are not as widespread as some other jellyfish, possibly due to their small size and specific habitat requirements. While they may be immortal, they are not invincible. As mentioned above, they face threats from predators and harsh conditions. These jellyfish are amazing and unique, and who knows, maybe humans will learn a thing or two from them.

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