Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: stana on 08/04/2008 21:28:21

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: stana on 08/04/2008 21:28:21

Hey guys i was wondering..

If i have my leg amputated, will it regrow?

Im going to change the rules of life a little bit here, lets say this amputee lives for hundreds of years..will it regrow in that time?

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 08/04/2008 21:42:32

Nope.

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: stana on 08/04/2008 21:46:11

not even in a million years?

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 08/04/2008 21:54:21

Nope.

I asked a question on here a while back about broken bones & amputation

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=4113.0 (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=4113.0)

Look in particular at Chris's reply.

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: stana on 08/04/2008 21:56:32

ohhh i see. Thanks

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 08/04/2008 21:57:16

oops, you replied while I was editing my post.

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: rosalind dna on 08/04/2008 22:02:19

Quote from: DoctorBeaver on 08/04/2008 21:57:16

oops, you replied while I was editing my post.

If you break a bone then as it mends it fuses together as a few of mine done in the past. Also a broken bone that's been mended
is stronger than before or so I've heard.

But once your limb is amputated then the nerves are dead and
cannot grow again. Hope this helps a bit

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: another_someone on 09/04/2008 01:29:07

If you were an amphibian it would regrow, but mammals are not amphibians.

Interestingly, I have heard stories about some forms of breast cancer get the local cells so confused that they start growing teeth where no teeth should be, and people are studying this as a way of getting the mouth to regrow teeth.

It is conceivable that you could regrow limbs in humans, but you would need to switch on the genes that the embryo would use to grow its limbs.

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 09/04/2008 08:08:49

Quote from: another_someone on 09/04/2008 01:29:07

It is conceivable that you could regrow limbs in humans, but you would need to switch on the genes that the embryo would use to grow its limbs.

And switch them off again when the limb was the required size. That, to me, is 1 of the most interesting aspects of cells & growth - how do they know when to stop making you grow?

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: Seany on 09/04/2008 10:03:38

Quote from: another_someone on 09/04/2008 01:29:07

If you were an amphibian it would regrow, but mammals are not amphibians.

Interestingly, I have heard stories about some forms of breast cancer get the local cells so confused that they start growing teeth where no teeth should be, and people are studying this as a way of getting the mouth to regrow teeth.

It is conceivable that you could regrow limbs in humans, but you would need to switch on the genes that the embryo would use to grow its limbs.

Is a lizard an amphibian?

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: Madidus_Scientia on 09/04/2008 10:44:22

There was a claim not too long ago about a person regrowing a fingertip, found this on google http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8NCIHHG0&show_article=1 Not sure if its true or not

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: rosalind dna on 09/04/2008 11:20:45

A Lizard is reptile, a cold-blooded creature liked snakes are.

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 09/04/2008 22:15:29

Did you know that the leatherback turtle is the only warm-blooded reptile? Isn't that interesting!  [;D]

Title: Leg Amputation and regrowth
Post by: Andrew K Fletcher on 10/04/2008 19:48:47

Think you might find some of the big crocks manage to raise their core temperature too. There is also some controversy over whether Dinosaurs were warm blooded reptiles