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Biological Miracle – Wood Frog

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503 points thunderbong | 7 comments | 15 Nov 24 18:16 UTC | HN request time: 0.609s | source | bottom
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dexwiz ◴[15 Nov 24 20:14 UTC] No.42150438[source]▶
Wood frogs only live 3-5 years, so they probably only go through a max of 5 of these cycles. I wonder how much cellular damage they accumulate during these cycles that they can tolerate due to short lifespans. They also have ~10,000x less neurons than a mammal.

Even if you had the biochemistry that was able to do this, how many cycles could a higher life form tolerate this, assuming it would even work? Complex life seems to sacrifice some resiliency, such as the ability to regrow limbs. Amphibians already seem to be particularly adept at regeneration.

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1. 8n4vidtmkvmk ◴[16 Nov 24 07:32 UTC] No.42155068[source]▶
I don't understand why we're not allowed to regrow limbs. What did that make room for in our DNA?
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2. macrolime ◴[16 Nov 24 10:16 UTC] No.42155635[source]▶
Some animals regenerate, some form scar tissue. It's thought that scar tissue is a cheaper and faster mechanism than regrowing limbs and has thus been selected in many cases.
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3. tim333 ◴[16 Nov 24 11:58 UTC] No.42155959[source]▶
The only animal that really does it properly is the salamander and I guess our family trees diverged before they figured that out?

Still scientists are working on it - they've done frogs https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/can-humans-regr...

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4. 8n4vidtmkvmk ◴[16 Nov 24 22:15 UTC] No.42159856[source]▶
Can't just be the salamander. I saw an iguana regrowing its tale just last week. Geckos too. Pretty sure starfish as well.
5. 8n4vidtmkvmk ◴[16 Nov 24 22:16 UTC] No.42159860[source]▶
If an iguana loses its tail, it doesn't just bleed until the new tail starts forming, right? Doesn't it seal up and then regrow?
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6. pvaldes ◴[17 Nov 24 00:23 UTC] No.42160834[source]▶
> The only animal that really does it properly is the salamander

Vertebrates are animals, but not all animals are vertebrates.

A lot of invertebrates can regrow lost organs or even heads. Insects lose it for the luxury of having wings, but other arthropods can regrow lost limbs if they live for enough moults. Planarians can regenerate everything.

7. macrolime ◴[17 Nov 24 13:03 UTC] No.42163996{3}[source]▶
Yeah it does form a clot and a thin skin layer, but it remains somewhat like a wound much longer and is easier to hurt again than scar tissue covers up a wound quite quickly.