Back to Discovery
Discovery

There Is a Jellyfish That Is Biologically Immortal

Curated by Surfaced EditorialΒ·Regularly updated

A tiny translucent jellyfish glowing with bioluminescence in deep dark water, with arrows showing its cyclical life stages

Turritopsis dohrnii, the 'immortal jellyfish,' can revert its cells back to their youngest form when sick or old through a process called transdifferentiation. It essentially restarts its life cycle, making it biologically immortal.

Why It’s Interesting

It is the only known animal that can completely reverse its aging process. Scientists are studying its cellular mechanisms hoping to unlock insights into human aging and cancer, since both involve cells that refuse to follow normal life cycle rules.

Discover more like this

Get the best finds delivered to your inbox every morning.

No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime.