Do you know that there are some animals that can regrow body parts? In biology, this process is called regeneration. Interestingly, we humans, advanced animals, do not have this biological ability.
Right now, the medical industry is working on advancements in regenerative medicine that will help in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, and other fields. So, that’s all for now about the application of this regeneration process, now let’s meet these animals that can regrow their body parts, whose body performs the regeneration process.
Axolotls
Axolotls are amphibians native to Mexico City and found mostly in lakes and wetlands. The body of this creature is cylindrical and looking at its face it seems as if it is smiling. And that is why this creature looks cute too.
Facts
- Axolotls are also known as Mexican walking fish and they possess unique and unusual characteristics.
- This creature never progresses past its larval stage, meaning it remains juvenile and aquatic throughout its life, a process called neoteny.
- Although axolotls are amphibians they never undergo terrestrial metamorphosis due to neoteny. Not only this, they also become sexually mature in their larval or juvenile stage.
- The next interesting feature of this creature is that it follows the regeneration process. This means it can regrow its tail, limbs, jaw, spinal cord, skin, ovaries, and parts of its brain and heart.
Hydra
Hydra is a freshwater animal native to temperate and tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The animal is named after the Greek mythological Hydra serpent which has multiple heads and the ability to regenerate heads. Similarly, this animal can regrow its body parts.
Facts
- Hydra usually reproduces asexually by budding method but sometimes they also reproduce sexually by laying eggs.
- The structure of the hydra results from a network of cytokeleton proteins and this is why this protein helps in the regeneration process.
- This animal can regrow lost body parts, tentacles, and sometimes even the entire body. Interestingly, whenever a hydra is cut in half, each part regenerates and forms two new complete hydra.
- The ability of Hydra to regenerate is due to its stem cell population and these cells are constantly renewing and differentiating. Whenever Hydra is cut, these stem cells become activated resulting in regeneration.
Zebrafish
The zebrafish is also one of the animals that can regrow body parts and is native to Southeast Asia including India, Nepal Bhutan, and other places. This fish is found in freshwater habitats, especially in Ganga and its tributaries.
Facts
- The zebrafish has genetic similarities to humans, which is why it is used as a model organism in medical research to understand human diseases and other developments.
- Zebrafish can regrow their fins, brain, heart, retina, and spinal cord and this regeneration process is mostly triggered by inflammation.
- Another interesting fact is that zebrafish have transparent embryos, and due to this researchers can observe the development process without any invasive procedures.
- These fish are mostly found in slow-flowing shallow water they are social and prefer to live in small groups.
Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers are aquatic creatures found everywhere around the world and they mostly exist at the bottom of the sea floor. This animal is also known as the natural recycler of the ocean because it breaks down waste materials.
Facts
- Whenever the sea cucumber senses danger or risk, it expels its organs as part of a defense mechanism against the threat.
- The respiratory tree of this organism is connected to its anus, that is why the sea cucumber breathes through its anus.
- After the process of ejecting organs, this animal can regrow their entire digestive system, respiratory tree, and reproductive organs. The time taken for this regeneration process varies depending on the species.
- This animal does not have a brain and lives for 5 to 10 years.
Mexican Tetra
The Mexican tetra is known for its uniqueness and two types of fish: the eyed river fish and the other blind cave fish. The eyed Mexican tetra fish follows the regeneration process. This fish is native to South America.
Facts
- The eyed Mexican tetra fish can regenerate heart tissue and that is why this fish is an ideal organism for researchers to study cardiovascular diseases.
- Cave-dwelling Mexican tetrafish do not have eyes and live in dark environments. This fish may not see but over time it develops various senses to compensate for the unavailability of vision. That is why it is a model organism for the study of evolutionary biology.
- Mexican tetra fish are peaceful and social animals and they live up to four years.
Skinks
Skinks are a type of lizard and are native to southern Asia and northern Africa. This animal is mostly found in deserts. This animal is mostly active during the day and lives in solitude.
Facts
- The skink has a unique blue tongue which it uses to scare away predators and this tongue is not poisonous, it is just a self-defense tactic.
- Whenever skinks feel threatened, they detach their tails to protect themselves because the detached tail distracts the predator and gives them time to escape.
- This animal can regrow their tails, and this regeneration process usually takes months, and the new tail is often not identical to the old one.
- This animal is omnivorous and some of its species are monogamous.
Spiders
The spider is also one of the animals that can regrow body parts and it is found everywhere in every habitat around the world. Spiders are not insects and all species of spiders produce silk.
Facts
- Spiders have eight eyes, eight legs, and blue blood because they use copper-based hemocyanin instead of hemoglobin to transport oxygen.
- Spiders also undergo a process of molting where they shed their old exoskeleton and regrow a new exoskeleton giving them room for physical growth and development.
- Spiders can regrow their lost limbs but this process is linked to the molting process. If a spider has lost a leg, the lost leg will grow back as a new exoskeleton grows during the molting process.
- Sometimes, they can even regrow their entire body during the molting process. But this regeneration process is inhibited when they reach maturity.
Newts
Newts are salamander amphibians that alternate between aquatic and terrestrial. This animal is native to Europe, Asia, North Africa, and America.
Facts
- Newts have remarkable regeneration abilities, they can regrow their eyes, jaws, lost limbs, and sometimes a heart and spinal cord.
- Newts also shed their skin as a part of growth and development and sometimes they even eat their shedded skin.
- Whenever newts feel threatened, they release toxins as a defense mechanism and make themselves dangerous to predators.