When the flat planarian worms lose their eyes, cellular evidence binds new eyes to its brain, so that it can see again, so how do these worms do?
Impressive advantages
Planarian worms not only renew their eyes, but are distinguished by other unusual talents. If one of the small flatworms is cut in half, the two halves will grow again, creating two identical worms.
And if the head of a flatworm is cut into two parts, two heads will grow, and if the flatworm's eye is cut, the eye will grow again.
Small parts of 279 parts of flatworms can be converted into new flatworms, keeping in mind time.
The planarian worms belong to a class of worms known as vibrators or stimuli, and they are from the division of flatworms, and they are characterized by having vibrating cilia, which in the water excite fine currents, hence the name.
Management of nervous systems
The process of regeneration enchanted these scientists for more than 200 years, prompting them to conduct countless experiments to understand how this complex organism could rebuild itself from scratch over and over again.
In a study published on Friday, June 27 in the journal "Science", researchers uncovered how this worm's nervous systems manage this achievement.
Scientists note that specialized cells indicate a path that extends from neurons extending from the newly developed eyes to the brain of the worm, which helps it connect correctly.
The research concludes that the cellular evidence hidden throughout the body of the Planinian worm may make it possible for the newly developed neurons of the worm to follow its steps.
Collecting this information about the study of flatworms may one day help scientists interested in helping humans to restore affected neurons.
Regeneration cells
Maria Lucilla Simon, a researcher at the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research in MIT, first noticed these cells during her study of schmidtian mediteriana worms, which are a common species of freshwater in southern Europe and North Africa.
The team looked at the new study closely and realized that some of the cells associated with regeneration were located in major nodes of the nerve network, between the eyes of the worms and their brains.
When the researchers implanted an eye from one animal to another, the neurons that grow from the new eye were always growing towards those cells.
When the nerve cells reached their target, they continued to grow along the path that takes them to the brain. Removing these cells means that the neurons will be lost and will not reach the brain, and these cells appear to act as a guide.
Dr. Peter Redden, professor of biology at MIT and one of the researchers involved in the study, says that guiding cells that point to the way in front of other cells play important roles in the development of the fetus in many creatures.
When most animals grow to become adults, these cells have long since disappeared, but in flatworms, cells that perform this directive role also appear to be found in adult worms.
These cells are arranged all the way from the eye to the brain, using signals from muscle cells that tell them exactly where they should be from the body, says Dr. Redin.
Hope to recover
Scientists and doctors have long been interested in studying and understanding the renewable forces of flatworms, in order to help heal spinal cord damage and other serious injuries.
So Dr. Redden and his colleagues plan to continue researching the flatworms for cells that give renewed neurons evidence to follow up, and to see if there are "marker-like cells in other parts of the nervous system", as the nervous system may be full of other small signs that show the way to the brain.