Regeneration is the natural process of replacing or restoring cells that have been lost or damaged due to injury or disease. A few animals can regrow entire organs or other body parts, but most have limited abilities to regenerate.
Scientists in the field of regenerative medicine study how some animals are able to rebuild lost body parts. By better understanding these processes and learning how to control them, researchers hope to develop new methods to treat injuries and diseases in people.
Take this quiz to test what you know about regeneration and regenerative medicine. Then check out our Regeneration fact sheet and the regeneration issue of Pathways , a teaching resource produced in collaboration with Scholastic.
1.) Which of these animals don’t have the ability to regenerate?
- a.) Zebrafish
- b.) Fruit flies
- c.) Sea urchins
- d.) Axolotls (Mexican salamanders)
2.) The human body can regenerate:
- a.) Tooth enamel
- b.) Toes
- c.) Heart valves
- d.) Bone tissue
3.) True or false: A planarian flatworm can regrow its entire body from one tiny piece of tissue.
- a.) True
- b.) False
4.) True or false: The same genes that some animals use to undergo extensive regeneration are also found in humans.
- a.) True
- b.) False
5.) Which of these is an achievement of regeneration research involving stem cells?
- a.) A treatment for burn wounds that uses a spray gun to apply stem cells
- b.) Creating a device that emits a light ray of stem cells and is passed through the chest to treat asthma
- c.) A medication that completely stops a person from aging
- d.) Cloning an entire human being