Regeneration: Rewarding,but potentially risky

Some bilaterally symmetric animals, such as flatworms, annelids, and nemerteans, are renowned for their outstanding regeneration capacity—even a fraction of the body can give rise to a complete new animal. However, not all species of these taxa can regenerate equally well—some cannot regenerate at all. If regeneration was purely beneficial, why cannot all of members of the flat, round, and ribbon worms regenerate? At that, why cannot all other bilaterians, including humans, regenerate as well? Regeneration capacity is an obvious advantage in accidental, predatory, and parasitic loss of body parts and is also closely intertwined with asexual reproduction strategies. Regeneration is suspected to play a role in life span extension or even rejuvenation. An answer for reduced or missing regeneration capacity in many species may be found in limitations of the body plan, high costs, and inherent dangers of regeneration. Defects in adults and juveniles are shown, and similarities between development and regeneration are pointed out. With a focus on some worms, but also highlighting comparisons with other animal taxa, putative reasons for a limited and an advanced regeneration capacity are discussed in this article. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 84:257–264, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.