Immortal Jellyfish

Turritopsis Nutricula is the name of a species of jellyfish that is capable of being biologically "immortal". It does this through a process called transdifferentiation, which allows the jellyfish to regenerate its entire body so that it goes from being a mature jellyfish back to the plankton stage. It is supposedly capable of repeating this process forever. Other animals are also able to regenerate certain body parts, such as salamanders and starfish, but they are unable to completely regenerate their entire bodies. This immortal jellyfish originates from the Caribbean, but due to its "immortality" it has spread all over the globe now. I think that it is really cool that an animal can live forever and never die. Scientists definitely need to research how the jellyfish does it, and then perhaps apply it to humans (although I'm not sure I would want to become an old person and then turn back into a baby again). However, I don't think if they could apply it to humans it would be to make us immortal. I think it would be better used to perhaps regenerate body parts for wounded veterans or other injured people. To sum it up, I think that this is a great discovery that could to lead to even bigger ones in the future.

Links: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/4357829/Immortal-jellyfish-swarming-across-the-world.html

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bloggers/26/the-world-s-only-immortal-animal.html