Scientists in Spain have mapped the genetic code of a sea animal that is the only known creature able to go back in its life cycle.西班牙科學家繪製了一種海洋動物的基因序列，這種海洋動物是已知唯一一種能「返老還童」的生物。 The research involves a kind of jellyfish.該研究涉及一種水母。 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.研究人員的目標是試圖了解這種水母異常長壽的秘密，以及為未來的衰老研究尋找新的研究領域。 The scientists published their study recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.科學家們最近在《美國國家科學院院刊》上發表了他們的研究成果。 Maria Pascual-Torner, Victor Quesada and others at the University of Oviedo mapped the genetic code of Turritopsis dohrnii.西班牙奧維爾多大學的瑪麗亞·帕斯夸爾-特納，維克多·克薩達和其他人繪製了燈塔水母的基因序列。 It is the only known species of jellyfish able to repeatedly change back into a larval stage after sexual reproduction.燈塔水母是已知唯一一種在有性繁殖後能夠反覆回到幼蟲階段的水母。 The scientists said that means it could be biologically immortal.科學家們說那意味着它在生物學上可能是永生的。 Like other jellyfish, T. dohrnii goes through a two-part life cycle.和其他水母一樣，燈塔水母的生命周期由兩部分組成。 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.生命早期階段它生活在海底，在那裡它的主要目標是在食物不足時生存下來。 Then, when conditions are right, the jellyfish enters another part of its life to reproduce sexually.然後，當條件合適時，燈塔水母進入生命的另一個階段來進行有性繁殖。 Many kinds of jellyfish have some ability to reverse aging and go back to a larval form.許多種類的水母都有一定的逆轉衰老，回到幼蟲狀態的能力。 But most lose this ability once they reach sexual maturity, the scientists wrote.但科學家們寫道，大多數水母一旦達到性成熟就會失去這種能力。 Not so for T. dohrnii.但燈塔水母並非如此。 Monty Graham is a jellyfish expert and director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography.蒙蒂·格雷厄姆是水母方面專家，也是佛羅里達州海洋學研究所的負責人。 Graham was not involved in the research.格雷厄姆沒有參與這項研究。 "We've known about this species being able to do a little evolutionary trickery for maybe 15-20 years," he said.他說：「我們知道這個物種在生物進化中存在這種不尋常行為可能有15到20年了。」 In this case, trickery means an unusual behavior or manner.在這種情況下，「trickery」是指不尋常的行為或方式。 This trick earned the species the nickname, the immortal jellyfish.這一不尋常之處讓這個物種贏得了「永生水母」的綽號。 Graham admits the nickname is a little hyperbolic, meaning it overstates the truth.格雷厄姆承認這個綽號有點誇張，那是指它誇大了事實。 The study aimed to understand what made this jellyfish different.這項研究的目的是了解這種水母的不同之處。 It compared the genetic code of T. dohrnii to a close genetic relative that does not have the same ability.該研究將燈塔水母的基因序列與其不具有相同能力的一種近親水母進行了比較。 Researchers found that T. dohrnii has differences in its genes that may make it better at copying and repairing DNA.研究人員發現，燈塔水母的基因差異可能使其更善於複製和修復DNA。 Such differences, or variations, also appear to make the jellyfish better at taking care of the ends of chromosomes called telomeres.這種差異或變異似乎也使水母更擅長維護被稱為端粒的染色體末端。 In humans and other species, telomere length has been shown to shorten with age.在人類和其他物種中，端粒長度已被證明隨着年齡的增長而縮短。 Graham said the research has no immediate financial value.格雷厄姆說這項研究沒有直接經濟價值。 "We can't look at it as, hey, we are going to harvest these jellyfish and turn it into a skin cream," he said.他說：「我們不能把它看作，嘿，我們要捕獲這些水母並將其變成護膚霜。」 The research has more to do with understanding the processes that help these jellyfish live so long.這項研究更多的是為了了解幫助這些水母活得如此長的過程。 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."格雷厄姆解釋說：「我真的認為它會是打開一扇通往新研究方向大門的論文之一，那個新研究方向值得人們探索追求。」 I'm John Russell.約翰·拉塞爾為您播報。
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