How the Terrotopsis dohrnii is biologically immortal
Have you ever noticed how fast each year slips by, each birthday showing that time waits for no one? If you were Territopsis dohrnii, also known as the immortal jellyfish, time would be far less limiting. These jellyfish, native to warm oceans around the world with a diameter spanning only 4.5 millimeters, are considered one of the most unusual marine organisms and possess an extraordinary ability: when injured or starved, they can “reverse” their life cycle and return back to their younger stage, rather than dying (1). This process, known as transdifferentiation, allows their cells to transform, restarting its development (2). While it doesn’t make the invertebrate truly invincible because they’re still susceptible to predators, they are biologically immortal under ideal conditions (3). Scientists are interested in this species because it challenges the popular idea that aging only moves forward in organisms (2). Most plants and animals go from birth to death, but this jellyfish can loop backwards, offering information into cellular regeneration (2). By studying this species, scientists can understand how cells can be reprogrammed, which could affect future practices in medicine, like cancer treatment and collagen products(1). Although humans are far from achieving anything comparable, this jellyfish shows that nature has already solved problems scientists are only beginning to explore. Despite its small size, Turritopsis dohrnii continues to change how scientists think about life, aging, and modern medicine and biological research.
Bibliography:
(1) Smithsonian Institution. (2022, September 6). “Immortal” jellyfish could spur discoveries about human aging.Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/immortal-jellyfish-could-spur-discoveries-about-human-aging-180980702/
(2) Feltman, R., Mwangi, F., & Sugiura, A. (2025, June 11). What “immortal” jellyfish and famously old tortoises tell us about aging. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/why-some-animals-live-for-days-and-others-live-for-decades/
(3) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. News of the Day: Immortal jellyfish. NOAA Ocean Today. https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/newsoftheday_immortaljellyfish/
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