Summary
Cut a planarian flatworm in pieces and each piece can grow back into a whole worm -- head, eyes and all. Deep Look reveals the special cells that let this animal rebuild missing parts of its body.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Planarians are packed with special cells that can become any body part. If the worm is split, those cells rebuild whatever is missing, so each piece grows into a complete worm -- an amazing kind of regeneration.
- What can a planarian do if it loses part of its body?
- What special cells make this regrowth possible?
- Why is being able to regrow parts helpful for survival?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: regenerate, stem cell, planarian, structure.
Try it: Cut a paper worm into two and draw each half growing a new end. Write how a planarian rebuilds its missing parts.