Planarian Flatworm
Planarian Flatworms have the designation of being "immortal under the edge of a knife." They can be cut into pieces, and each piece can regenerate into a complete organism. Small pieces of the planarian can regenerate back into a complete organism in just a few weeks. If the head of a planarian is cut in half down its center, and each side retained on the organism, it is possible for the planarian to regenerate two heads and continue to live.
When a planarian is wounded or deliberately cut, adult stem cells (called endoblasts) at the location of the wound site proliferate to form a blastema that will differentiate into new tissues and regenerate the missing parts of the piece of the cut planaria. Existing tissue is remodeled to restore symmetry and proportion of the new planaria that forms from a piece of a cut up organism.
|
This article is missing source reference/s. At least one reference, citation, or author if non-canon should be listed for most articles.
|