The main difference between regeneration and true regeneration is that regeneration is the formation of body parts whereas true regeneration is the formation of a new individual from a small body part.
Regeneration and true regeneration are two processes that involve forming body parts again when the body parts are lost.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Regeneration
– Definition, Structure, Function
2. What is True Regeneration
– Definition, Structure, Function
3. Similarities Between Regeneration and True Regeneration
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Regeneration and True Regeneration
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Regeneration, True Regeneration
What is Regeneration
Regeneration is the process of reforming lost body parts. For instance, certain lizards can regenerate their tails. Moreover, about 75% of the human liver can be removed as it will regenerate into a functional organ again. Therefore, regeneration is the enlargement of a part of the body from a small piece rather than the recreation of a new organ.
Figure 1: Starfish Regenerating Legs
Generally, there are four mechanisms for tissue regeneration in animals. Hydra undergoes regeneration by the reorganization of existing cells. Whereas, salamander undergoes stem cell differentiation into specific tissues. In addition, plants and salamander-like organisms undergo neighboring tissue cell dedifferentiation into cells of the required type. Apart from that, in the human liver, one can observe the growth of the surviving cells into the lost part of the organ. Human stem cells are also capable of regenerating body tissues such as heart muscle, nerve cells, etc.
What is True Regeneration
True regeneration is the formation of a completely new individual from a small body piece. For instance, protists like amoeba can grow back into a complete organism after a cut. Simple invertebrates such as Hydra can completely regenerate into a new organism from a piece of a body part. Other examples of true regeneration include flatworms, which are capable of regenerating themselves into a new organism only from a small mass of cells. Therefore, when an organism undergoes true regeneration, it can develop into a new individual from a fine piece of its body.
Figure 2: True Regeneration
Moreover, starfish are echinoderms that can regenerate the entire body from the central section and from a single arm. In addition, salamanders can regenerate lost legs and parts of their eyes although many other amphibians such as toads and frogs cannot.
Similarities Between Regeneration and True Regeneration
- Regeneration and true regeneration are two types of processes that form body parts with the loss of the body parts.
- Both processes are important for the generation of complete organisms.
Difference Between Regeneration and True Regeneration
Definition
Regeneration refers to the action of regenerating body parts while true regeneration refers to the process of formation of a completely new individual from a small body piece.
Importance
Regeneration is the formation of a lost body part while true regeneration is the formation of a new individual from a body part.
Examples
The formation of the lost body parts by Hydra and Planaria are examples of regeneration while growing back to a new individual in Amoeba is an example of true regeneration.
Conclusion
In brief, regeneration and true regeneration are two processes of forming body parts in various organisms. In regeneration, lost body parts are formed back. For instance, Hydra and Planaria regenerate their body parts after a loss. True regeneration, on the other hand, is the formation of a new individual from a small part of the body removed from an organism. For example, Amoeba forms into a new organism after a cut. Therefore, the main difference between regeneration and true regeneration is the forming parts during regeneration.
References:
- “Regeneration (Biology).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Oct. 2022.
Image Courtesy:
- “Sea star regenerating legs” By Brocken Inaglory – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
- “Disk-Dependent Bidirectional Regeneration” By HDRB – Own Work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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