Complete immunity???

S

sargentlard

Save the whales motherfucker
Valued Senior Member
I read an interesting fact that Sharks are the only known species of animals so far to be immune to every disease...even cancer. Apprrently they have never known to be sick or suffer from any ailments...is this true?

Amazing if it is true and if it is true then how is their immune system established that it is invulrenable to any and all diseases? Can it be used in any way to strenghten human immune system because as we all know humans drop like flies to many, many, many diseases.
 
do you want everyone in the world to live to an old old age? it's too crowded as it is! we need to die sometime by some means.
 
True enough but those who die at a young age deserve a chance to live don't they? A 10 year old dying of cancer has a right to have another go at it doesn't he/she?

also i find that fact fascinating though hard to believe.
 
BigBlueHead said:
Sharks get chondromas = cartilaginous tumours.
Click to expand...

I think the only animal group that seems exempt from cancer is the phylum of the coelenterates.

some anecdotal info for or dear sciforum users:


One species of this phylum is the popular Hydra, or fresh water polyp.
The swiss scholar Abraham Trembley started cutting them up already 20 years before Mozart was born and describe how they seem to be able to regenerate from little parts.

The polyp can even be dissociated into single cells, which then sink to the bottom of the dish and reaggregate to clumps of cells which grow into new polyps.
 
sargentlard said:
I read an interesting fact that Sharks are the only known species of animals so far to be immune to every disease...even cancer. Apprrently they have never known to be sick or suffer from any ailments...is this true?
Click to expand...

No it is not true. There is no scientific evidence to support this popular urban myth. In fact, the only peer-reviewed study I have ever seen on shark cancers found that they are no more or less prone to various cancers than any other vertebrate. Furthermore, as indicated above, they appeared to be <B><I>more</I></B> prone to cartilage-related cancers than other vertebrates which makes that whole shark-cartilage natural medicine thing look kinda stooopid, don’t ya think? Unfortunately I cannot remember any of the details about this study and can’t find the reference.

Anybody?
 
Chickens are immune to anthrax... but eating chicken won't make you immune to anthrax.
 
spurious,
would the same be applicable to porifere (forgive any possible error, this is how the scientists in my homeland call these 'sub-Coelenterates')? Also, to add your info, I read that the same (on Hydra) can be applied to a species of Plathyhelmints (flat-worm?).

Oh, and by the way, about the topic, I wonder if constantly exposing one's body to patogens will eventually increse one's immunity like mad.....
 
Oh, and by the way, about the topic, I wonder if constantly exposing one's body to patogens will eventually increse one's immunity like mad..............

The chances of you surviving that would be a bit slim? :eek:
 
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