Heads or tails: Cells' electricity decides what to regenerate
Saturday, February 5, 2011 - 15:34
in Biology & Nature
For the first time, scientists have shown that specific changes in cell membrane voltage and ion flow are a key determinant in whether an organism regenerates a head or a tail. Biologists were able to control the shape of tissue regenerated by amputated planarian (flatworm) segments by manipulating the natural electrical signals that determine head-tail identity in the worms.