fyeah-seacreatures: Immortal Jellyfish. By: h16nakaji Turritopsis nutricula, the immortal jellyfish, is a hydrozoan whose medusa, or jellyfish, form can revert to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the only known case of a metazoan capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of trans-differentiation. Cell transdifferentiation is when the jellyfish “alters the differentiated state of the cell and transforms it into a new cell”. In this process the medusa of the immortal jellyfish is transformed into the polyps of a new polyp colony. First, the umbrella reverts itself and then the tentacles and mesoglea get resorbed. The reverted medusa then attaches itself to the substrate by the end that had been at the opposite end of the umbrella and starts giving rise to new polyps to form the new colony. Theoretically, this process can go on indefinitely, effectively rendering the jellyfish biologically immortal. 
View Separately

fyeah-seacreatures:

Immortal Jellyfish. By: h16nakaji

Turritopsis nutricula, the immortal jellyfish, is a hydrozoan whose medusa, or jellyfish, form can revert to the polyp stage after becoming sexually mature. It is the only known case of a metazoan capable of reverting completely to a sexually immature, colonial stage after having reached sexual maturity as a solitary stage. It does this through the cell development process of trans-differentiation. Cell transdifferentiation is when the jellyfish “alters the differentiated state of the cell and transforms it into a new cell”. In this process the medusa of the immortal jellyfish is transformed into the polyps of a new polyp colony. First, the umbrella reverts itself and then the tentacles and mesoglea get resorbed. The reverted medusa then attaches itself to the substrate by the end that had been at the opposite end of the umbrella and starts giving rise to new polyps to form the new colony. Theoretically, this process can go on indefinitely, effectively rendering the jellyfish biologically immortal. 

1363 Notes/ Hide

  1. provictory reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  2. 1004wonderland reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  3. cthululite reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  4. allthewordsineedtohear reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  5. wingsandrain reblogged this from danger-in-design
  6. devinaawijaya reblogged this from danger-in-design
  7. danger-in-design reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  8. dominusignis reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  9. audiopsychosis reblogged this from cutting-our-teeth
  10. cutting-our-teeth reblogged this from eternalconsciousness
  11. istareatwords reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  12. averyquietgoat reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  13. big-city-dr3ams reblogged this from strawallykiwilemonadekisses
  14. strawallykiwilemonadekisses reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  15. tictacsandpixiestix reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  16. zdavidb reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  17. nastin-rockmybasty reblogged this from aimmyarrowshigh
  18. aimmyarrowshigh reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  19. whereisbess reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures and added:
    The only immortal animal on earth
  20. wtf-ppl reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  21. mariromi reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures
  22. panicandctrl-z reblogged this from c-d-spair
  23. saintdrizzle reblogged this from tumblrisweird
  24. secretsofasamurai reblogged this from at0micb0mb
  25. razi-o reblogged this from 12andomthoughtz and added:
    (via imgTumble)
  26. 12andomthoughtz reblogged this from onedirectionfacingmecca
  27. studiesofthedream reblogged this from onedirectionfacingmecca
  28. lunapernocte reblogged this from eternalconsciousness
  29. caliborninthedeep reblogged this from mizuken
  30. mizuken reblogged this from fyeah-seacreatures