Why can salamanders regenerate their limbs?

Did you know that salamanders can regenerate their lost tail, and their body parts in general? How does the salamander regenerate its lost limbs?

When the salamander loses its tail, a small bump called a blastema forms on the stump (the remaining part of the limb).

After three weeks, the blastema transforms into a new tail . This is pretty fast considering salamanders can live for about 12 years.

If humans had the ability to regenerate a leg , like salamanders, it would take about 5 months to form . Interesting, don’t you think?

Don’t Miss: 95 Fun Facts About Animals You Didn’t Know .

What mechanism do salamanders use  to replace the lost part of their tail , or any limb?

After a salamander loses its tail, or a leg, the blood vessels in the stump constrict. The bleeding stops and a layer of skin cells forms to cover the area.

Within a few days, the epidermis transforms into a layer of cells that emit signals that are essential for regeneration.

Then the healing process begins, where fibroblasts , which are connective tissue cells, come into play.

When the cells group in the center of the wound, they give rise to the blastema cells , which will form the regenerated structure.

A few years ago it was believed that blastema cells were capable of regenerating any tissue. But it is not like that. Rather, they act as organizers, instructing the surrounding tissues .

Salamanders do it without scars

The most interesting thing is that in addition to regenerating, salamanders do so without a trace of scars.

Thoroughly studying how salamanders without scars can regenerate their limbs is something that would help humans. Sometimes scar tissue prevents the full functionality of a part of the human body. So healing without a scar would be a great thing in this case.

Isn’t it impressive the ability of the salamander to regenerate?

[Source: solociencia.com ,  abc.es ]