The Effect of Hydra Head Activator on the

Regeneration Rates of Heads and Tails of Planaria

(Dugesia Tigrina)

By Paris Thatos

Abstract

• There are approximately 1.6 million people that live with some form of limb amputation in the United States alone, that number growing by 135,000 each year. New research suggests that it may be possible to stimulate regeneration using biochemical means, deriving from other regenerative animals). The purpose of this experiment is to find out whether Hydra Head Activator, a neuropeptide involved in Hydra Regeneration, will have the same effect in Planaria Regeneration. Planaria (n = 30) were first dissected into a head and tail half, using a simple scalpel. They were then immersed into various solutions of various concentrations of HHA. There was also a control group that was immersed in normal water. They were observed and photographed using a webcam and were graded on blastema growth on a seven stage cycle. The results of this experiment were that HA did not have the same role as in hydra regeneration. Rather than regeneration being greater than or equal to the regeneration of the species in normal water, it inhibited the rate of regeneration. This suggests that neuropeptides from different species that do the same task in their respective species are not the same chemicals and cannot be switched.

Knowledge Base

• In other studies, the xenobiotics, regardless of function, retarded the regeneration of the planaria

• In hydra, Hydra Head Activator will influence the regeneration, regenerating a head instead of, say, a tail

Hypothesis

• Ho - When treated with the HA, planaria heads and tails will regenerate as quickly as those untreated.

• Ha -When treated with the HA, planaria heads and tails will regenerate at a much slower rate than the rates of the untreated planaria

Project Goals

• The goal of this study is to find out if the neuropeptides used to influence hydra regeneration will play the same role in planaria regeneration

Literature review

• Inhibition of Planaria regeneration by Melatonin

Yasuhiro Yoshizawa

• Alteration of Planaria regeneration using Lipoic Acid

Rogene F. HendersonThese studies suggests that xenobiotics, regardless of types, will inhibit

regeneration in planaria.

Conclusion

• The conclusion we can draw from this experiment is that xenobiotics, even those that are associated with high regeneration rates, will not perform the same task in other species.

Future Studies

• Regarding future studies, the main problem to be corrected is that a larger sample size must be used, and since there were seven groups (including the control group) , the sample size must be larger or at least seventy, to ensure an equal testing and a low standard deviation. Also, a more definitive test for blastema growth should be used instead of a visual scale