How long is the life of the lighthouse jellyfish?

The lighthouse jellyfish is a kind of jellyfish that returns to the polyp state after sexual maturity, and can repeat this process indefinitely, thus having the ability to rejuvenate and is theoretically immortal. It may be the only "immortal" creature in the world, capable of realizing the life cycle, transition from mature adulthood to immature life, and there may be no life limit, because they can avoid death.

How long is the life of the lighthouse jellyfish

The lighthouse jellyfish is so far the only immortal animal in nature. Because death can be bypassed, the individual number of lighthouse jellyfish is very large, with a life cycle of continuous circulation between adults and hydra, so their lifespan can be unlimited.

Geographical distribution of lighthouse jellyfish

Lighthouse jellyfish were first found in the Caribbean, and the number of individuals increases rapidly because individuals do not decrease during breeding. Dr Miglita, of the Smithsonian Tropical Oceanography Institute, said: "the world is silently encroaching on the living environment of lighthouse jellyfish in tropical waters, and they will be discharged to ports and spread around the world with the ballast water of ships." .

Reasons for the immortality of lighthouse jellyfish

Scientists have concluded that the secret to the immortality of lighthouse jellyfish lies in the differentiation of stem cells. Maria Pia Miletta, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, said the lighthouse jellyfish will not die as usual, but will "reverse their body's cells to younger age", but this "reverse growth" is conditional. It only happens when they encounter hunger, physical damage or other sudden crises.

According to Miletta, the lighthouse jellyfish will transform itself into a droplet-like cyst, and then continue to develop into the jellyfish's primitive life form-a group of polyps. During this process, cells throughout the body of the lighthouse jellyfish are transformed, with muscle cells transformed into neurons, or sperm and eggs, National Geographic reported. Through asexual reproduction, this polyp group will once again grow into hundreds of jellyfish that are almost identical to the previous adult lighthouse jellyfish DNA.

Ma Hongbao, a researcher at Brookdale University Hospital in New York, said: "the ability of jellyfish to avoid death makes it biologically immortal." This makes the jellyfish the only creature that will theoretically live forever as long as it is not eaten or dies of disease. Through the process of rebirth and asexual reproduction, one jellyfish becomes hundreds of identical jellyfish. This also explains why the world's five oceans are full of lighthouse jellyfish with almost the same genetic arrangement.