13 What We Owe Sleeping Jellyfish
From: Pat Maxwell
Series: November 2006 - Isla Earth Radio Series
Length: 01:34
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- 13 What We Owe Sleeping Jellyfish
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- Pat Maxwell
When it comes to falling asleep, we may owe it all to jellyfish. The squishy, stinging creature of the seas was the first animal to develop the ability to sleep!
Jellyfish belong to a group of animals called cnidarians, which also includes sea anemones and sea fans. They developed a modern nervous system earlier than other animals. They have simple brains, and a network of nerves and neurotransmitters that allow them to move and sense the world around them.
Biologists recently discovered that life?s earliest sleep developed in certain species of jellyfish. Studying their nervous systems could help us understand why we need sleep, and how our brains and nerves work.
Habitat conservation helps to protect animals like the jellyfish. By studying them, scientists advance our understanding of human development, and help to create products that enhance human well-being.
So the next time you drift off to sleep, say a little thank you to the lowly jellyfish.
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03 Fog Catchers in the Sky
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04 Scrape, Don't Rinse
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05 Leaves of Three...
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06 An Eco-Friendly Auto Club
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07 Keeping Plastic Out of the Ocean
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Many kinds of plastic are forever, or nearly so.
08 Deconstruction Preserves Building Materials
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09 What Does Organic Mean?
(01:34)
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10 There's Genes in That Dirt
(01:34)
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When it comes to falling asleep, we may owe it all to jellyfish. The squishy, stinging creature of the seas was the first animal to develop the ability to sleep! Jellyfish belong to a group of animals called cnidarians, which also includes sea anemones and sea fans. They developed a modern nervous system earlier than other animals. They have simple brains, and a network of nerves and neurotransmitters that allow them to move and sense the world around them. Biologists recently discovered that life?s earliest sleep developed in certain species of jellyfish. Studying their nervous systems could help us understand why we need sleep, and how our brains and nerves work. Habitat conservation helps to protect animals like the jellyfish. By studying them, scientists advance our understanding of human development, and help to create products that enhance human well-being. So the next time you drift off to sleep, say a little thank you to the lowly jellyfish.
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