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posted by on Friday December 02 2016, @03:06AM   Printer-friendly
from the it-works-for-wolverine dept.

Some of our closest invertebrate cousins, like this Acorn worm, have the ability to perfectly regenerate any part of their body that's cut off - including the head and nervous system. Humans have most of the same genes, so scientists are trying to work out whether human regeneration is possible, too.

Regeneration – now that'd be a nice superpower to have. Injure an arm? Chop it off and wait for it to grow back. Dicky knee? Ingrown toenail? Lop off your leg and get two for one!

It sounds ridiculous, but there's a growing number of scientists that believe body part regeneration is not only possible, but achievable in humans. After all, not only are there plenty of animals that can do it, we can do it ourselves for our skin, nails, and bits of other organs.

Perhaps humans don't regrow body parts because, unlike worms, they have an idea 'how much that stings.'


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 02 2016, @08:02AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 02 2016, @08:02AM (#435856)

    I believe that technically we never regrow teeth.
    The two sets are quite different (at least the roots are different).

    As an aside, being able to regrow teeth would make a very big difference for old people.
    If you can't eat properly, everything in your body ages much faster.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Taibhsear on Friday December 02 2016, @04:27PM

    by Taibhsear (1464) on Friday December 02 2016, @04:27PM (#436012)

    Correct. Here's a link with some photos of the two sets of teeth in a shaved skull so you can see them more clearly.
    https://io9.gizmodo.com/5910844/the-mouth-of-a-child-is-a-terrifying-thing-to-behold [gizmodo.com]

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by deimtee on Saturday December 03 2016, @11:52AM

      by deimtee (3272) on Saturday December 03 2016, @11:52AM (#436503) Journal

      Here's a link with some photos of the two sets of teeth in a shaved skull so you can see them more clearly.

      I don't think I want to shave with a razor like yours. It seems a tad aggressive.

      --
      If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.