Life and death go hand in hand. What gets old need to turn new again and that usually happens by destruction. Imagine if people were like bacteria, never to die but get old complete with the accumulation of the diseases of mind and body - Mankind would be wiped out as we know it. The multi-priceless question is: How does something old turn new again? and how can we go about this in a continuum? How can a person be immortal?
Reproduction through intercourse was through evolution and the next evolution will come about by self reproduction.
Is there an example of life where something old turns new again through which humans can imitate?
Showing posts with label evolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evolution. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Hydra
by Christie Ewen 2/13/10
This fresh water organism deserves more attention. Hydra may be immortal because they regenerate their tissues and organs without an apparent end state. There's not enough data to make a conclusion but Daniel E. Martinez's study appears to suggest Hydra are indeed immortal.
An interesting point raised about evolutionary biology in both sources listed below is about TIMING. Just having the desired genes (that includes the so called "junk" DNA) is not enough to make an organism immortal, switches need to turn the genes ON and/or OFF at specific times.
REFERENCES
by Daniel E. Martinez
PBS Nova What Darwin Never Knew
What is the difference between aging and senescence?
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