re·gen·er·a·tion (r -j n  -r  shn)n. 1. The act or process of regenerating or the state of being regenerated. 2. Spiritual or moral revival or rebirth. 3. Biology Regrowth of lost or destroyed parts or organs. |
regeneration [rɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən]
n
1. the act or process of regenerating or the state of being regenerated; rebirth or renewal
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) the regrowth by an animal or plant of an organ, tissue, or part that has been lost or destroyed
3. (Electronics) Electronics the use of positive feedback to increase the amplification of a radio frequency stage
| regeneration (r-jn-rshn) The regrowth of lost or destroyed parts or organs. A Closer Look Regeneration of parts or, in some cases, nearly the entire body of an organism from a part, is more common than one might think. Many protists like the amoeba that have been cut in half can grow back into a complete organism so long as enough of the nuclear material is undamaged. Severed cell parts, such as flagella, can also be regrown in protists. New plants can be grown from cuttings, and plants can often be regenerated from a mass of fully differentiated cells (such as a section of a carrot root), which, if isolated in a suitable environment, turn into a mass of undifferentiated cells that develop into a fully differentiated organism. The capacity for regeneration varies widely in animals, with some able to regenerate whole limbs and others not, but the capacity is reduced significantly in more complex animals. Certain simple invertebrates like the hydra are always regenerating themselves. If cut into tiny pieces that are then mixed up, the pieces can reorganize themselves and grow back into a complete organism. Flatworms have the capacity to regenerate themselves from only a small mass of cells. If they are chopped up into fine pieces, each piece has the capacity to develop into an entire organism. Starfish, which are echinoderms, can regenerate their entire body from their central section and a single arm. Newts and salamanders can regenerate lost legs and parts of eyes, but many other amphibians such as frogs and toads cannot. Certain lizards can regenerate their tails. In many animals, these regenerated body parts are not as large as the originals but are usually sufficient to be functional. Many higher animals such as mammals regularly regenerate certain tissues such as hair and skin and portions of others such as bone, but most tissues cannot be regenerated. About 75 percent of the human liver can be removed, and it will regenerate into a functional organ. The physiological reasons for this are still not understood. Regeneration in this case takes the form of the enlargement of the remaining structures rather than the re-creation of the lost ones. Thus, there are four mechanisms for tissue regeneration in animals: the reorganization of existing cells (as in the hydra), the differentiation of stored stem cells into the specific tissues needed (as in the salamander), the dedifferentiation of neighboring tissue cells and their subsequent regrowth as cells of the needed type (as in plants as well as certain animals like the salamander), and the compensatory growth of the surviving cells of the specific tissue (as in the human liver). There is a great interest in stem cells because of their potential use in regenerating body tissues, such as nerve cells and heart muscle. The biochemical mechanisms for dedifferentiation are also the subject of intense study. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  regeneration - (biology) growth anew of lost tissue or destroyed parts or organsbiological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms morphallaxis - regeneration on a reduced scale of a body part; observed especially in invertebrates such as certain lobsters biological process, organic process - a process occurring in living organisms |
| 2. | regeneration - feedback in phase with (augmenting) the input feedback - the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output vicious circle, vicious cycle - one trouble leads to another that aggravates the first | |
| 3. | regeneration - the activity of spiritual or physical renewal resurgence, revitalisation, revitalization, revival, revivification - bringing again into activity and prominence; "the revival of trade"; "a revival of a neglected play by Moliere"; "the Gothic revival in architecture" | |
| 4. | regeneration - forming again (especially with improvements or removal of defects); renewing and reconstituting reconstruction - the activity of constructing something again |
Translations
regeneration
n
(Elec) → Rückkoppelung f
regeneration [rɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃ/ən] n (frm) (of economy, society) → rigenerazione f; (of feelings, enthusiasm) → rinnovamento
regeneration [rɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃ/ən] n (frm) (of economy, society) → rigenerazione f; (of feelings, enthusiasm) → rinnovamento
regeneration [rɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃ/ən] n (frm) (of economy, society) → rigenerazione f; (of feelings, enthusiasm) → rinnovamento
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|