Researchers pinpointed the genetic machinery behind some of these tiny creatures’ amazing powers of regeneration. By Sam Jones In rivers and streams across the globe lives a tube-shaped carnivore. It ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. For a group of small aquatic animals known as hydra, decapitation is ...

Hydra reproduce asexually, budding off little clones, so Martinez had to pick those young out and toss them. After four years of this, not only were the hydra still alive, but they looked good as new.

It was previously thought that bud elongation was caused by cell division in the budding zone. Studies on hydra show, however, that reorientation and repolarization of tissues, and morphogenetic ...