This image shows the head and body of Alicia CF. After the marginata sea snails parted a day later.
Sayaka Mitoh
Most animals cannot lose their bodies and can still survive. Secoglosson The two species of sea snails are not the majority of animals. The team of researchers observed sea snails that cut off their own heads and then retracted their bodies from the heart and other internal organs. The process of removing a body part is called ot totomy. That is What does a lizard do when it loses its tail For self-defense.
Leaving the whole body is more dramatic than losing the tail. “We thought he would die soon without the heart and other vital organs, but we were surprised again that he revived the whole body,” said Sayaka Mitoh of Japan’s Nara Women’s University in a press statement on Monday. Said in a press statement. Mitoh is the lead author of a study on sea snails published in the Cell Press Journal Current Biology.
Scattered sea snail heads were able to feed within hours.
Sayaka Mitoh
Revived sea snails were small individuals. It took about a week for the heart to regain its peace and they fully regenerated their body in three weeks. Researchers suggest that there may be “stem-like cells” where the neck is broken which allows for regrowth.
The small sea snail heads were able to move and feed the algae immediately after scattering, which seems to be the key to their existence. Older snails do not feed the head.
Unusual animals take cue from plants. “Already the sea snails in question were unique in that they contain chloroplasts from algae that they eat into their own bodies, known as kleptoplasty,” the cell press said. “It gives animals the ability to fuel their bodies through photosynthesis.”
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The ability to rearrange the body is not heard. Some species of jellyfish can reproduce After injury. The self-decapitation part of the sea snail process adds to the mystery. Researchers suggest that action may be a way to get rid of internal parasites, but the incentive is unclear.
The amazing body regeneration process is already giving scientists ideas for further study. “Shed bodies often remain active for months, so we can study the mechanism and functions of kleptoplasty using living organs, tissues or even cells,” Mitoh said.
