Lobsters

[Ethanadams]

I have been told that lobsters never age is that true?

[Bill Phil]

I'm pretty sure all life ages.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

I don't know about lobsters, but there is an 'immortal jellyfish'.

[N_las]

I am pretty sure there are many lobsters who aged one year during the last year.

[jfull]

There are a lot of animals, including many fish and reptiles, that don't age the way mammals do because they never completely stop growing and the rate that their cells regenerate doesn't necessarily slow down.

Because of this, their likelihood of living another year actually increases as they get older.

[Scotius]

Yep. Lucky critters only get bigger, tougher and meaner. But usually it comes with a downside - as they get bigger, they need more and more food. Sooner or later such Methuselah finds itself in situation, where it can't find enough food fast enough.

[TheDarkStar]

There are a few animals that basically don't age like hydra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_%28genus%29.

[Sirrobert]

For biological imortality, a better term would probably be 'does not grow old'

[Xannari Ferrows]

Age is a strange word. It is always moving forward in time, so it does get older, but it does not die or go hindered from age.

[Beowolf]

I read older female lobsters keep getting more fertile too, producing more eggs every season.

Interesting article here.

[Jovus]

Lobsters do indeed not undergo senescence.

I've heard the same about goldfish, though I cannot confirm. Sharks, though - while it isn't confirmed yet one way or the other, imagine an ocean wherein the sharks just get more experienced every year. (This may be the ocean we have.)

[magnemoe]

Yep. Lucky critters only get bigger, tougher and meaner. But usually it comes with a downside - as they get bigger, they need more and more food. Sooner or later such Methuselah finds itself in situation, where it can't find enough food fast enough.

Lobsters age, some more primitive organism don't, downside is significantly higher cancer rates, this is not an huge issue as the organism is small and have an short estimated lifespan anyway.

You can regrow at least smaller limbs like fingers on humans, downside is again insane cancer risk, this is not an huge issue for lots of animals who is unlikely to live next year anyway.

And yes its an significant interest in solving this issues, both an anti aging pill and an universal cancer vaccine will probably sell well

[kerbiloid]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17943234

[Flixxbeatz]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/viral-video/11270184/Giant-lobster-age-70-caught-off-Californian-coast.html

[RainDreamer]

It is true. You know all those cooked lobsters people eat? They don't age anymore.

The same applies to a lot of dead animals, really.

[Tommygun]

Yep. Lucky critters only get bigger, tougher and meaner. But usually it comes with a downside - as they get bigger, they need more and more food. Sooner or later such Methuselah finds itself in situation, where it can't find enough food fast enough.

Does this mean that somewhere in the ocean there is a very hungry ten thousand year old lobster the size of a Buick?

[Ethanadams]

Maybe

ps look up the Japanese giant spider crab

[Sirrobert]

Lobsters age, some more primitive organism don't, downside is significantly higher cancer rates, this is not an huge issue as the organism is small and have an short estimated lifespan anyway.

You can regrow at least smaller limbs like fingers on humans, downside is again insane cancer risk, this is not an huge issue for lots of animals who is unlikely to live next year anyway.

And yes its an significant interest in solving this issues, both an anti aging pill and an universal cancer vaccine will probably sell well

There will never be a universal cancer medicine/vaccine, or any other kind of treatment, because 'cancer' is not a disease, but an umbrella term of many different diseases. Even 2 people who have the same kind of cancer (colon, prostate, lung, that kinda stuf) each have a different disease, because off the way cancer forms (through mutations). Each individual case has a different combination of mutations, which makes it a unique case that requires specialized care

[Nuke]

there is only one thing you need to know about lobsters:

boil alive in seawater for best results.

[LordFerret]

Oh they age... nicely... in my belly, with drawn butter.

[Ethanadams]

With some lemon juice

[LordFerret]

With some lemon juice

Rice or pasta? lol

[Ethanadams]

Rice and a little rock salt

Edited February 27, 2015 by Ethanadams