Decapitated Sea Slugs can Regenerate a New Body When Under Threat

Even though self-decapitating is a sure way to die, some species of sea slugs chop off their head which is a life-saving exploit for them. Scientists discovered that slugs do this to remove internal parasites that have infested their bodies. The new ones will be generated from the head that has been detached. This degeneration takes about three weeks, during which time the growing slugs likely sustain themselves off sugars produced via photosynthetic algae that live within their skin. 

Biology researcher Sayaka Mitoh, who specializes in Japanese sea slugs, one day entered the lab to find one of the creatures had decapitated itself and the head kept on moving and living. Then a couple more followed same.

sea slug, sea slug head, decapitated sea slug

Then Ms Mitoh teamed up with Yoichi Yusa, an aquatic ecology professor to perform the phenomenon.

They have cut off the heads of 16 japanese slugs of two different species. Out of which six have been regenerated and 3 of them have been succeeded and survived. One of them has decapitated twice and grown itself.



This self-decapitating discovery can help us better understand and succeed in the generation of human tissue.

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