T A B L E O F C O NT E NT

IMMORTALITY:ENDLESSVITALITY

Immortal Organisms: The Science of Species that Live Forever

How do Axolotls Regrow Amputated Limbs?

How Does The Body Heal Itself?

THEMASTERORGAN:OURWRINKLYBRAIN

How Genes Affect Depression

Neurons: Our Own Electrical Wires

Scene Perception in The Human Brain

How the Human Body Perceives Beauty

Thehumanbodyblueprint

The Replication of Cells

How Do Organelles Grow?

The World of Bacteria in Our Guts

Allergies in the Human Body

How is Spiciness Defined and Measured in Scientific Terms?

Terrific Tennis

Research Paper: Delaying School Start Times for Sleep

ADVANCINGLIFE:BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

How is RNA Bacteriophage Being Used for Further Discoveries in Microbiology?

HIV and Its Possible Cure?

Can Gene Therapy Cure Type 1 Diabetes?

A Small Look Into MRI and CT Scans

Linkage and Gene Mapping with Molecular Markers

Synthetic Biology: Methords and Implementations

THRIVINGTOGETHER:BIOLOGYAND ENVIRONMENT

Unlocking the Power of Genetic Engineering: The Future of Medicine and Agriculture

Can Tree Rings Predict Climate Change

immortality: endless vitality

Immortal Organisms: The Science of Species that Live Forever

Author: Alssandra Faith Tan

Editors: Benetta Wang and Saniya Chaudhari

Artist: Serena Zhou

The lifespan of an average human being ranges from 70-80 years of age, and with current technological advancements, scientists believe that the number could go higher. For years, the secret to immortality was actively sought out by countless individuals across time. Who wouldn’t want to take a dive into the fountain of youth? Unfortunately, according to National Geographic, humans can only live up to 125 years even with longevity interventions Some believe in the effectiveness of cryogenics, cell regeneration, and other forms of selfpreservation. For now, a person’s life will continue to be fickle, but unbeknownst to a few are certain species that completely deviate from this predisposed transience.

You may have heard of the Jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii, a sea creature known for being biologically immortal This small creature is in fact capable of living for an indefinite amount of years due to its ability to reverse its aging process In every instance, a fertilized egg stands as the basis of a new jellyfish's life and develops into the planula stage of development

During a swim, the planula attaches to a surface, where it grows into a polyp, a tube-shaped structure with a mouth at one end and a kind of foot at the other. It stays fixed in place for a while, developing into a little polyp colony that shares feeding tubes.

Subsequently, one of these polyps will develop into a protrusion known as a bud, or create independent segments stacked on top of one another This later breaks away from the rest of the colony depending on the kind of jellyfish. The ephyra, a little jellyfish, and the medusa, an adult stage that is fully developed and capable of sexual reproduction are the next phases of the jellyfish life cycle; they are both produced through this procedure. This stage tends to mark the end of the line for the majority of jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii, however, has a clever trick up its sleeve Under certain conditions, such as starvation or injury, it can revert to being a

immortality: endless vitality

tiny blob of tissue, which then transforms back into the sexually immature polyp phase of life. It is synonymous to the metamorphosing of a butterfly that turns back into a caterpillar instead of dying. This is how the immortal jellyfish is able to regenerate itself endlessly and what makes scientists sure that this species has the capacity to live forever

Another species considered to be immortal is the Flatworm, otherwise called a planarian worm This animal is able to surpass the aging processes through a constant, limitless regeneration method. In order for flatworms to regenerate, neoblasts, or stem cells, must be present throughout the organism. These cells are dispersed throughout the body and are activated to grow back the tissues that have been severed when a portion of the worm is removed If it were cut in half, it can immediately restore its missing body part and in some cases, form two separate organisms. Scientists from Britain's University of Nottingham are attempting to thoroughly study the mechanisms of limitless cell regeneration and utilize the flatworm’s functions as a basis for research to develop the longevity of human beings

The tardigrade, also called the water bear, is said to potentially be an immortal animal and is the most indestructible creature known to man. Although having the word “bear” in its name, it is a microscopically sized creature, usually between 0 1-1 5 millimeters long As early as the middle of the Cambrian Period, over 500 million years ago, this creature has been discovered in fossil records. There are more than 1,000 different species of tartigrade, which can be found everywhere on the earth from high to low altitudes, encompassing moderate to extreme locations For instance, scientists have discovered tartigrades at the highest point of the Himalayas and at ocean depths of over 10,000 feet, and even in the Antarctic. These organisms have the ability to live for tens of thousands of years or quite likely permanently through the means of entering a condition of cryptobiosis, in which their metabolism ceases. All metabolic processes halt in the cryptobiotic state, preventing growth, development, and repair The tardigrade can almost eternally survive in cryptobiosis while it waits for the environment to improve Desiccation, or drying out, is the most typical type of cryptobiosis.

All of these are organisms that have developed their own distinct regenerative mechanisms over time This aided in the preservation of their species and a great stretch of their lifetime Even if humans will be unable to attain a similar level of longevity, our transient body will always be a great blessing. At the very least, we are able to marvel at the capabilities of these animals and possess the ability to accomplish countless things, all thanks to our complex body systems. At the end of the day, it is important to appreciate the biology of immortal animals by accepting our finite life and making the most of the time we have left