There are a number of functionally immortal lower species, such as hydra, jellyfish, and planarians. Individual animals do not exhibit aging, in that mortality rate does not rise over time. An interesting question is the degree to which these species employ much the same strategy of cellular reprogramming as occurs in the early embryo of mammals, in order to maintain a youthful epigenome. Some of these species only maintain immortality under certain circumstances, and researchers have made use o…
Planarians Use a Similar Strategy to Embryonic Reprogramming to Maintain Immortality
There are a number of functionally immortal lower species, such as hydra, jellyfish, and planarians. Individual animals do not exhibit aging, in that mortality rate does not rise over time. An interesting question is the degree to which these species employ much the same strategy of cellular reprogramming as occurs in the early embryo of mammals, in order to maintain a youthful epigenome. Some of these species only maintain immortality under certain circumstances, and researchers have made use o…