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Researchers Study Sea Creature that Could Live Forever

时间:2022-10-05 22:59:14

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Researchers Study Sea Creature that Could Live Forever

Scientists in Spain have mapped the genetic1 code of a sea animal that is the only known creature able to go back in its life cycle.

The research involves a kind of jellyfish. The researchers' goals were to try to understand the secret of the jellyfish's unusual long life and find new areas for future aging research.

The scientists published their study recently in the Proceedings2 of the National Academy of Sciences. Maria Pascual-Torner, Victor Quesada and others at the University of Oviedo mapped the genetic code of Turritopsis dohrnii. It is the only known species of jellyfish able to repeatedly change back into a larval stage after sexual reproduction. The scientists said that means it could be biologically immortal3.

Like other jellyfish, T. dohrnii goes through a two-part life cycle. It lives on the sea floor during an early part of life where its main goal is to survive during times when there is not enough food. Then, when conditions are right, the jellyfish enters another part of its life to reproduce sexually.

Many kinds of jellyfish have some ability to reverse aging and go back to a larval form. But most lose this ability once they reach sexual maturity4, the scientists wrote.

Not so for T. dohrnii.

Monty Graham is a jellyfish expert and director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography. Graham was not involved in the research.

"We've known about this species being able to do a little evolutionary5 trickery for maybe 15-20 years," he said.

In this case, trickery means an unusual behavior or manner.

This trick earned the species the nickname, the immortal jellyfish. Graham admits the nickname is a little hyperbolic, meaning it overstates the truth.

The study aimed to understand what made this jellyfish different. It compared the genetic code of T. dohrnii to a close genetic relative that does not have the same ability.

Researchers found that T. dohrnii has differences in its genes6 that may make it better at copying and repairing DNA7. Such differences, or variations, also appear to make the jellyfish better at taking care of the ends of chromosomes8 called telomeres. In humans and other species, telomere length has been shown to shorten with age.

Graham said the research has no immediate9 financial value.

"We can't look at it as, hey, we are going to harvest these jellyfish and turn it into a skin cream," he said.

The research has more to do with understanding the processes that help these jellyfish live so long.

Graham explained, "It's one of those papers that I do think will open up a door to a new line of study that's worth pursuing."

Words in This Story

code – n. a set of instructions for a living organism or a computer

life cycle -- n. the series of stages through which a living thing passes from the beginning of its life until its death

species – n. biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

larval – adj. a very young form of an insect or other creature

immortal – adj. not capable of dying ; living forever

pursue –v. to make an effort to find out more about some subject or issue


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1 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
2 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
3 immortal 7kOyr     
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的
参考例句:
  • The wild cocoa tree is effectively immortal.野生可可树实际上是不会死的。
  • The heroes of the people are immortal!人民英雄永垂不朽!
4 maturity 47nzh     
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期
参考例句:
  • These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
  • This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。
5 evolutionary Ctqz7m     
adj.进化的;演化的,演变的;[生]进化论的
参考例句:
  • Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
  • These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。
6 genes 01914f8eac35d7e14afa065217edd8c0     
n.基因( gene的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因,所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪
7 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
8 chromosomes 11783d79c0016b60332bbf1856b3f77d     
n.染色体( chromosome的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Chromosomes also determine the sex of animals. 染色体也决定动物的性别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Each of four chromosomes divide longitudinally. 四种染色体的每一种都沿着纵向分裂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

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