How It Works

How does a jellyfish live without a brain?

- Tomas Pirozzi LM

Clusters of nerve cells help to coordinate the running of an animal’s body, but they consume energy and are costly to make and maintain. Because of this, some animals have evolved to get by without them. Jellyfish have nets of nerves that allow them to detect chemicals, vibrations and light. These trigger built-in reflexes that enable them to move, eat and reproduce. They essentiall­y live on autopilot. Incredibly, sponges have taken it one step further, doing away with nerves altogether.

 ??  ?? Jellyfish use nerve nets to make quick-fire decisions
Jellyfish use nerve nets to make quick-fire decisions

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