Quiz Yourself to Grow What You Know About Regeneration

Regeneration is the natural process of replacing or restoring cells that have been lost or damaged due to injury or disease. A few animals can regrow entire organs or other body parts, but most have limited abilities to regenerate. Scientists in the field of regenerative medicine study how some animals are able to rebuild lost body parts. By better understanding these processes and learning how to control them, researchers hope to develop new methods to treat injuries and diseases in people. Take this quiz to test what you know about regeneration and regenerative medicine. Then check out our Regeneration fact sheet and the regeneration issue of Pathways , a teaching resource produced in collaboration with Scholastic. 1.) Which of these animals don’t have the ability to regenerate? a.) Zebrafish Credit: iStock. Zebrafish can regrow their fins. They can also repair damaged organs, including the brain and heart, as well as an injured spinal cord. Try a different answer. b.) Fruit flies Credit: iStock. *That’s right! Fruit flies (Drosophila) can’t regrow lost or damaged body parts. They are a popular research organism for studying various aspects of developmental biology and genetics in the lab, but not for studying regeneration. c.) Sea urchins Credit: iStock. Sea urchins have the ability to regenerate dam...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Genes Cellular Processes Regeneration Source Type: blogs