Summary: Can Planaria Retain Memory During Regeneration
Can Planaria Retain Memory During Regeneration?
Zoology 225
Submitted by: Abbie Danner
Submitted to: Mrs. Godar
May 5, 2015
Abstract The experiment was performed to find out if planarian can retain their memory after regeneration? The object was to discover if shocking a planarian and then shining a light on it for eight weeks, could be imprinted on each side of the planarian after being cut in half and left to regenerate. Once the planaria were left to regenerate for a week at the end, each half was tested to see if it reacted to just the light. Since this was done simultaneously with the light and shock, the goal was that the planarian would remember after regeneration that light means a shock is coming and they would shrivel up. …show more content…
When their heads are removed they are said to be able to imprint their memories into a new brain during regeneration (1). They have the ability to regenerate because they have specialized cells called neoblasts, which are a kind of stem cell (Reddien 4). Neoblasts have the ability to form into any type of cell, which makes regeneration easier (4). The cut area of the planarian would quickly produce the blastema, which is a structure of rapidly dividing cells that can be seen as a white spot where the planarian was bisected (4). The planarian then regenerate a head from the cut of tail portion or a tail from the cut portion (4). It then takes about two weeks for the planarian to fully regenerate (4). A flatworm once survived being cut into 279 pieces and grew new bodies for every single one (el-Showk 1). Planaria do not have anatomical marks on their bodies, therefore it is harder to track their regeneration (Levin …show more content…
A planarian has two nerve cords and two clusters of nerve cells at its anterior end (Boyce 1). There are neurons that take information from sensory organs and that detect light, touch and other environmental changes (1). The planarians nervous system regenerates pretty much the same way that the body does by the blastema formation (Kiyokazu & Yoshihiko 1). The blastema forms then the basic part of the “brain” and nervous system and then the neural network forms (1). Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the body wall since there is no respiratory system (Planarian
Zoology 225
Submitted by: Abbie Danner
Submitted to: Mrs. Godar
May 5, 2015
Abstract The experiment was performed to find out if planarian can retain their memory after regeneration? The object was to discover if shocking a planarian and then shining a light on it for eight weeks, could be imprinted on each side of the planarian after being cut in half and left to regenerate. Once the planaria were left to regenerate for a week at the end, each half was tested to see if it reacted to just the light. Since this was done simultaneously with the light and shock, the goal was that the planarian would remember after regeneration that light means a shock is coming and they would shrivel up. …show more content…
When their heads are removed they are said to be able to imprint their memories into a new brain during regeneration (1). They have the ability to regenerate because they have specialized cells called neoblasts, which are a kind of stem cell (Reddien 4). Neoblasts have the ability to form into any type of cell, which makes regeneration easier (4). The cut area of the planarian would quickly produce the blastema, which is a structure of rapidly dividing cells that can be seen as a white spot where the planarian was bisected (4). The planarian then regenerate a head from the cut of tail portion or a tail from the cut portion (4). It then takes about two weeks for the planarian to fully regenerate (4). A flatworm once survived being cut into 279 pieces and grew new bodies for every single one (el-Showk 1). Planaria do not have anatomical marks on their bodies, therefore it is harder to track their regeneration (Levin …show more content…
A planarian has two nerve cords and two clusters of nerve cells at its anterior end (Boyce 1). There are neurons that take information from sensory organs and that detect light, touch and other environmental changes (1). The planarians nervous system regenerates pretty much the same way that the body does by the blastema formation (Kiyokazu & Yoshihiko 1). The blastema forms then the basic part of the “brain” and nervous system and then the neural network forms (1). Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged through the body wall since there is no respiratory system (Planarian