Animal With No Measurable Signs Of Aging

#1

Why this matters - yet another animal model where aging seems absent - because it shows this is theoretically possible. There has been a longstanding argument that aging is as inevitable as gravity in all animals (in non animals we have the endlessly dividing bacteria). Therefore it is important to give evidence that there is no such iron law - because if there isn’t, it means that at least theoretically there is no fundamental barrier to achieving biologically eliminated aging. Of course, this here is in simpler animals lower on the evolutionary tree, but we have hints of this further up, even as high up as in mammals (NMR).

Interesting study and the article this is based on.

A tiny freshwater hydra shows no measurable signs of aging

3 Likes
#2

It’s one of “nature’s coolest tricks”, says Guardian reader Raquel López-Aragón. “When this jellyfish gets old or gets hurt, instead of just dying like most animals, it transforms itself back into a baby jellyfish and grows up all over again. It can do this as many times as it wants, which means theoretically it never has to die from getting old, it just keeps hitting the reset button on its life.”

In the lab, where Miglietta studies them, these jellies can theoretically live for ever. However, for some in the wild, getting eaten may eventually end that dream run.

Globally, there are eight accepted species of Turritopsis – but (so far) only one holds the key to eternal life.

#3

Those have reverse gear for development. Bigmouth Buffalo fish have negligible senescence.