Brains are essentially a group of clustered neurons that control everything you do. Even in the animal kingdom, the brain plays a key role in their survival, but is it possible to survive without a brain? However, there are several fascinating creatures that seem to do well in life without a brain. Let’s know about the brainless animals.
Which animals don’t have brains?
Take for instance the squishy Jellyfish that have managed to survive for around 650 million years not only without a brain, but with no heart and blood too. Not just them, but there are several other sea creatures who can pull off this feat that includes Sea cucumber, Starfish, Oysters, Portuguese Man-O-War, and many more.
How brainless animals survive without brains?
But how could they survive without the mighty brain? Well, that’s because these brainless creatures are generally simple animals compared to complex species like humans or other animals that need to perform complex tasks to survive in which the brain plays the crucial part. Whereas simple animals only need the most basic bodily features to sense things, such as finding food and avoiding danger. And to undertake these tasks, these animals need a system that reacts automatically according to the environment, just like your smartphone. Yes, your cellphone doesn’t have a brain but still, they have a variety of other sensory connections that can detect various things such as hand movement, touch, facial features, and even the level of light to adjust its own brightness automatically. Similarly, most creatures without brains have simple mechanisms attached to their bodies to allow them to do all the things they need to do to survive. A Jellyfish for example functions through a network of sensory nerves that talk to each other. This helps their tentacles react to foreign objects with a shooting sting that releases a toxin capable of neutralizing the intruder. Other species like sea stars, on the other hand, don’t have a neural net around their body. Instead, their arms contain sensors that permit them to touch, see, and smell what’s around them. This ability comes in pretty handy considering the fact that they don’t move but stay in one place at the bottom of the sea like most of the simple creatures.
Besides, one theory suggests that some simple creatures like sea sponge may have had a simple brain in the past. But instead of evolving it into a complex system, they may have chosen to get rid of their brain because there was no need for it. Yes, as we know our brains need ample energy to function smoothly, which these simple creatures cannot afford to give as their bodies need this energy to function and survive. So it won’t be wrong to say that for them brains are overrated and it may be worth remembering that though they lack a brain, they still have the nerves.
Writer,
Nafis Wahid Nijhum
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE
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