Despite being the rulers of earth, humans can’t regenerate most of its body parts which surprisingly, some species can. Sea stars can grow back their back rays. Deers renew its antlers every year. And an aquatic salamander called axolotl can regenerate its body parts all throughout its entire life, amazing, right?
Below are the 7 creatures that can regrow body parts.
Deer
The only organ that can be fully renewed among mammals is the deer antler which happens every year. This regeneration is maintained and initiated by neutral-crest-derived stem cells, which scientists use nowadays for the regeneration in other animals. But except in the reindeer or caribou because only males have antlers which they use for survival and competition for mates. The antlers grow so fast per day with a quarter-inch.
Crayfish
Anthrophods can grow new claws and crayfish is no different. It takes a single molt to complete claws’ regeneration. If the crayfish is well fed, warmer and/or younger, it is much easier for them to regrow claws quickly. Another exciting discovery scientists had found out was the connection between neurons regeneration and the crayfish immune system. It is no different from the process of production of white blood cells in humans and its connection to the immune system of humans.
Skinks
Skink has a hard time walking upright. Despite this weakness, it was countered by a fantastic skill of being able to remove its tail if it wants to. If a predator approaches from behind to attack, it can detach its tail while still wiggling to distract it while the skink escapes. It takes about three to four months for the skink to regenerate its tail. The downside of this is, the skink is weaker during its regeneration period.
Axolotl
A fascinating aquatic salamander that can regenerate not just its legs but also its eyes, spinal cord, heart, and even some brain parts as well! Not like other vertebrates, what is special about this aquatic salamander is that it can regenerate through its lifetime. Scientists are still trying to found out how this specie regenerates tissues just by using their stem cells. Sadly, the axolotl is now considered an endangered species.
Worms
Using stem cells, planarians can regenerate their heads and all of their appendages. Freshwater flatworms have been doing this cycle for ages and scientists have found their family so impressive in terms of regeneration. They can even reproduce by themselves by tearing their body into two, which can just take up to two weeks due to their asexual characteristic.
Zebrafish
When a zebrafish tail has been amputated, it can grow another tail with its stripes in just about 2-4 weeks. Because of this trait, scientists are using zebrafish as a representation for the regeneration of complex tissue.
Conch
Conch’ eyes are usually located at the end of its stalks. With this, it has the ability to revive its eyes if it gets lost. Fortunately for this creature, it can regenerate much faster than other gastropods within a few weeks only.
