Scientists Regenerate Limb in Chick Embryo

Most of us have observed the phenomenon of limb regeneration. In my own personal experience, as a youth my parents purchased me a 'gold skink.' The pet shop employee who had to catch the lizard caught it by its tail, and before he could box it - and much to my horror, the tail broke off. Wisely my father agreed to purchase this particular reptile, despite the grisly looking stump that now existed in place of the skinks tail, knowing that the tail would in fact grow back. This was a wise decision, I was certainly fascinated by the tails regeneration, and this incident may have sparked my current interest in all things scientific. In a significant recent development researchers at the Salk Institute were able to stimulate growth of a new limb in a developing chick embryo, a species not normally known to regenerate.



This is a significant scientific development by any measure. It also demonstrates a further point regarding the ability of organisms to regenerate. The results of this and relevant background experiments suggest that regeneration is not an evolved trait per se. Rather the ability to regenerate limbs is something that has likely been lost by higher vertebrates such as chicks and humans. While certainly offering support for the theory of common descent... the same pathways control limb development is organisms as diverse as fruitflies and chicks, but why the loss in regenerative ability? Certainly one can see the selective advantage of being able to regenerate limbs.

Perhaps it won't matter in the long run. Science seems to have made a significant step towards being able to regenerate lost, and or developmentally defective limbs. It's undeniably a long way from coming to fruition, but is undeniably a step in the right direction.

Related News Links:
www.sciencemag.org
www4.eurekalert.org
www.medgadget.com
www.uams.edu

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Great find.

Good personal story, excellent analysis.

Thank you.

These technologies promise a new - and needed - level of healing.

Bump.

This article breaks the rules about lead paragraphs.

Still, it's a good effort - about an important scientific development.

Soficrow,

I have lurked for sometime on this board prior to posting, and am familiar with your postings and thread topics.

I appreciate your comments, and coming from you, the praise means a lot. Thanks for your kind words and constructive criticism. Both are duly noted.

MK.