FLATWORM

Common name: planarian

Scientific name: Dugesia japonica

Found in freshwater streams and ponds, planarians are small worms only a few millimeters long which possess simple brains, nervous and digestive systems, and a strangely endearing pair of rudimentary eyes. Their most striking characteristic, however, is their regenerative ability; cut a single animal into dozens, even hundreds of pieces, and each fragment can develop into a new individual. This remarkable capacity has attracted the attention of biologists interested in the mechanisms of regeneration and much progress has been made in recent years in understanding how the planarian achieves its death-defying multiplication. The answer lies in the totipotent cells distributed throughout its tiny body, cells it is hoped will provide clues to the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Planarian Labs