| USA TODAY
This sea snail loosens its head and restores a new body
The miraculous regenerating sacoglossan snail has caused researchers in Japan to stumble.
Buzz60
- Some sea snails can regrow hearts and whole new bodies, even after removing their own heads.
- “We were surprised to see the head move just after it was cut off.”
- People might learn something useful from the marine animals.
Surprisingly, some animals may survive decapitation, according to a new study.
Researchers have discovered that two species of Japanese sea snails can regrow hearts and new bodies even after removing their own heads.
It may ultimately help scientists better understand and tackle human tissue regeneration.
The head of the snail, separated from the heart and body, moved automatically after the separation, the study shows. Within days, the wound closed at the back of the head. The heads of relatively young slugs fed algae within hours.
They then began the rebirth of the heart within a week. Within about three weeks, the rebirth was complete.
“We were surprised to see the head move just after that (it was cut off),” said study lead author Sayaka Mitoh of Nara Women’s University in Japan. “We thought it would soon die without a heart and other important organs, but we were again surprised to discover that it regenerates the whole body.”
WATCH THE VIDEO: Watch the head and body of a sea snail move spontaneously, 3 days after separation.
Then Mitoh and professor of water ecology Yoichi Yusa tried it themselves and cut off the heads of 16 sea snails. Six of the creatures began to regenerate, and three succeeded and survived. One of the three even lost twice and she regained her body.
Other animals can shed body parts when needed, such as when some lizards drop their tails to get away from a predator, in a biological phenomenon called autotomy.
Mitoh is not sure how the snails manage the regeneration. But she suspects there must be stem-like cells at the cut end of the neck that can regenerate the body.
It is also unclear why the snails do this. One possibility is that it helps to remove internal parasites that impede their reproduction. Researchers also do not know what immediate indication the creatures use to shed the rest of the body. These are areas for future study.
Humans may learn something useful from marine animals, several scientists have said. What is interesting is that these sea snails are more complex than flatworms or other species that are known to regenerate, Nicholas Curtis, a biology professor at Ave Maria University, did not say part of the study.
“It’s obviously a miracle of nature, but understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms involved can help us understand how our cells and tissues can be used to repair damage,” Curtis said.
The study was published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
Contributing Contributions: The Associated Press