BBC Focus Magazine

[Shadowwolf]

Reporting in the journal Science, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO, have discovered that the worm lacks a key cellular structure called a "centrosome," which scientists have considered essential for cell division.

Every animal ever examined, from the mightiest mammals to the lowliest insects, has these centrosomes in their cells.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105174220.htm

[M Paul Lloyd]

Aliens! Aliens! ...... run for the hills.

[Lateralman]

“When cut into tiny pieces, every piece will grow into a perfectly normal worm in a matter of days. Each offspring can then be segmented over and over again as well -- it's how the worm reproduces.”

I found this interesting and have two questions. Will this discovery change the myth of a gardener accidently slicing an earthworm in half and it will create two earthworms?

Does this mean that this animal will regenerate inside a predators gut if cut to pieces and eaten? In addition, so have a way of dispersing itself to other areas further afield. Similar to when birds consume seeds?

[ChrisH]

quote Lateralman "I found this interesting and have two questions. Will this discovery change the myth of a gardener accidently slicing an earthworm in half and it will create two earthworms? "

If you cut an earthworm in half only the head end survives and grows back, The tail end dies shortly afterwards. It is a myth that both ends grow into complete worms.

[MikeG]

Their methods seem a bit lax. They make assumptions a bit too quickly for instance, they used some type of genetic manipulation, obviously designed for something else to remove thecentrosome, meaning they hadn't examined the worm closely. Then they assume that the absence of a centrosomes in flatworm means it plays no role in cell division in other organisms as well? Maybe the flatworm has solved this problem independently, in a different manner, which is what allows it to be cut up and regrow. They should look for another species with a centrosome, and remove that to study the effects, before extrapolating their findings to include all organisms. Exceptions to the rule exist everywhere. Maybe this is one.

[Shadowwolf]

Does this mean that this animal will regenerate inside a predators gut if cut to pieces and eaten?

No as those bits will be digested rendering regeneration impossible.

[Thinker]

My sister used to eat mud when she was a kid (Don't ask!) and my mum said that she used to crap worms. So how did they manage to survive the digestive acids?

[MikeG]

My sister used to eat mud when she was a kid (Don't ask!) and my mum said that she used to crap worms. So how did they manage to survive the digestive acids?

Some worms use the digestive tracts of animals to reproduce, hence the name intestinal worms.

[Lateralman]

Okay, to push it a little further. Are we looking at the possibility of a new way to clone people here by chopping them up and watching them completely regenerate from the pieces?

Alternatively, is this the key to how a lizard can grow back its tail?

Think I have the start of a decent horror story coming on.

[Shadowwolf]

So how did they manage to survive the digestive acids?

Because our digestive system is not designed to process live worms I'd think, but a predator of flatworms - if there are any - would obviously have a digestive system to process them or else they wouldn't be eating them.

Are we looking at the possibility of a new way to clone people here by chopping them up and watching them completely regenerate from the pieces?

Ummm no, that's stupid.

[The Beige Avenger]

For every one that falls.... two shall rise!