The Immortal Jellyfish

[Deep Sea Isopod]

Turritopsis nutricula.
http://www.jellyfishfacts.net/turritops ... yfish.html

The Immortal jellyfish is one of the most unique animals not just within the species of jellyfish, but within the entire history of the animal kingdom. It has actually managed to accomplish the one feat that has been yearned by many and accomplished by none. It appears to have cheated death and hence transformed itself into a perpetually immortal being!

Basically, after sex it turns back into a polyp ("through cell development process of transdifferentiation") and starts over.

[GenesForLife]

But this still doesn't render many individuals of the species invulnerable to disease and predation.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

But this still doesn't render many individuals of the species invulnerable to disease and predation.

Well, no. It just means they don't die of old age.

[Trolldor]

Immortal, not invulnerable.

[GenesForLife]

Immortal, not invulnerable.

If they get eaten they die, or they can die of disease, therefore this is not immortal , strictly speaking.

Not mortal; exempt from liability to die; undying; imperishable; lasting forever; having unlimited, or eternal, existance.

http://ardictionary.com/Immortal/1012

They ARE liable to die, just not from old age, so immortal they are not, what they are, though, is biologically immortal , biological immortality being defined as
the absence of a sustained increase in rate of mortality as a function of chronological age. (c) Wikipedia.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

You're just nit-picking now. These critters are also known as Immortal Jellyfish because they don't die of old age.
The point is that it's like totally amazing how it works.

Well, I think so, anyway.

[GenesForLife]

Nitpicking and pedantry is a professional requirement for me, DSI

[hadespussercats]

Oh, to be a polyp again.

[RuleBritannia]

The Elves from The Lord of the Rings were immortal depite that fact they could die in battle.

[GenesForLife]

Only Biologically immortal, not immortal proper.

[Feck]

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Perhaps it should be amortal? Or dismortal? I think we need a new word that means unaging as opposed to incapable of dying. If only there was a word that meant unaging...

[Trolldor]

How about... Immortal?

[Deep Sea Isopod]

You see what you've started, GFL? :sighsm: