The bioluminescent comb jellyfish has roamed the earth for over 525 million years. It generates light, flashes of blue-green, to startle its predators and its eight comb rows to swim (away).

It contains proteins that enable it to generate light. According to researchers, these same proteins may have given rise to the diversity of light-sensing molecules in human eyes. Long-term studies could lead to new insights into the origin of eyes and therapies for treating sight disorders.

Photo courtesy of Bill Browne of the University of Miami.

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