there is one living animal that is the world's only 'immortal' creature

[trioderob]

try to guess what living creature (not a plant or microbe)

can live forever ?

dont google it

everyone is genius at everything by typing a few words in google

Edited June 14, 2011 by trioderob

[Kathryn]

I had no clue so I had to Google it. Thanks for the interesting Google.

[Xenon]

I think it was some sort of jellyfish...or was it a clam?

Jonathan

[Kailua_Krish]

Im guessing it is some sort of very primitive animal, maybe a sea sponge or coral?

-Krishna

[trioderob]

can anyone say:

"Biological immortality"

pretty cool animal if you ask me

[pogobob]

Coral

[LJG]

Whats Google?

[paulgila]

what do you mean by "forever?"

my answer is "cheese."

[bgl]

What kind of cheese?

[trioderob]

Turritopsis nutricula

"Immortal jellyfish "

Turritopsis nutricula, the potentially 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.[2][3] It does this through the cell development process of transdifferentiation.

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 !

Edited June 15, 2011 by trioderob

[LJG]

Hmmm. I think I might try this myself when I get home from work.

[trioderob]

Hmmm. I think I might try this myself when I get home from work.

would you want to be a "polyp" ?

[Patricia-CR]

Interesting, thanks!

[MattyB]

what do you mean by "forever?"

my answer is "cheese."

What kind of cheese?

Baby Cheesus?

[bgl]

That's pretty fascinating - "Cell transdifferentiation" - never heard about this before. And Matty, I knew we were teetering on the brink of being totally off topic, and you just effectively pushed us over the edge! One of your many hidden talents. Or maybe it's not so hidden!

[paulgila]

What kind of cheese?

"femunda" cheese.

[MattyB]

It's fromunder cheese ya douche

[bayside mike]

what do you mean by "forever?"

my answer is "cheese."

What kind of cheese?

Baby Cheesus?

you said it nobody messes with baby cheesus

[paulgila]

It's fromunder cheese ya douche

says "captain obvious."