money is to make something that aids humans to
maximise their vanity.
silicone, liposuction, hair implants, viagra
and some things which claim to add years to your
life or your face.
The latest one seems to be a small sea creature
that apparently doesn't die. It is eternal because it
morphs.
I suppose it will be hunted to extinction by crazed
millionnaires hoping to spread its sh*t on their faces.
Luckily it's translucent and small
and lives in the sea. Did I say it morphs?
Happy hunting.
checkit: Mother nature network
Immortal
jellyfish: Does it really live forever?
The
Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish has displayed a remarkable ability to
regenerate its cells in times of crisis.
By Melanie
Lasoff Levs
Wed,
Apr 13 2011 at 1:33 PM
Photo:
Peter Schuchert/The Hydrozoa Directory
While
it is often joked that cats have nine lives, a certain species of jellyfish has
been deemed “immortal” by scientists who have observed its ability to, when in
crisis, revert its cells to their earliest form and grow anew. That means that
these tiny creatures, 4 mm to 5 mm long, potentially have infinite lives.
The
creature, known scientifically as Turritopsis nutricula, was discovered in the
Mediterranean Sea in 1883, but its unique regeneration was not known until the mid-1990s.
How does the process work? If a mature Turritopsis is threatened — injured or
starving, for example — it attaches itself to a surface in warm ocean waters
and converts into a blob. From that state, its cells undergo
transdifferentiation, in which the cells essentially transform into different
types of cells. Muscle cells can become sperm or eggs, or nerve cells can
change into muscle cells, “revealing a transformation potential unparalleled in
the animal kingdom,” according to the original study of the species published
in 1996.
Since
the Turritopsis’ virtual immortality was discovered, so have swarms of
genetically identical jellyfish far from their original habitat, including in
Japan, Spain and the Atlantic Ocean side of Panama. Researchers have concluded
that these multiplying creatures are getting caught in ballast waters, water
that is sucked into and pumped out of the long distance cargo ships. Polyps
also could be growing on the ship’s hulls. Though genetically identical, these
jellyfish seem to have adapted to their new environments. For example,
specimens from swarms living in tropical waters have been found to have eight
tentacles, while those discovered in temperate regions have 24 or more
tentacles.
But
Turritopsis can — and do — die. Their regeneration only occurs after sexual
maturation, therefore they can succumb to predators or disease in the polyp
stage. But because the jellyfish are the only known animal with this
“immortality,” scientists are studying them closely, with the hopes of applying
what they learn to issues such as human aging and illness.
