 |
| Photo courtesy of sciencedaily.com |
The article “’Paradox Worm' Xenoturbella Bocki Lacks Brain & Sex Organs, But Could Be Mankind's 'Progenitor'” by Andres Jauregui of Huffington Post, describes the high possibility that a paradox worm can be more related to humans that many other more advanced organisms. This organism might belong to a branch of the animal family tree called deuterostomes. “Deuterostome development in animals, is a developmental mode distinguished by the development of the anus from the blastopore; often also characterized by radial cleavage and by the body cavity forming out pockets of mesodermal tissue” (Campbell 661). For example, the study’s co-author Matthias Obststates states, “So maybe we're more closely related to the Xenoturbella bocki worm, which doesn't have a brain, than we are to lobsters and flies” (Jauregui 1). Scientists have good reason to believe that the human race is more closely related to something so simple and far from complex as this worm that lacks a brain and sex organs! They have found that, “…the worm's early embryonic development is similar to that of humans, which could help answer questions about how human organs are formed” (Jauregui 1). This discovery could potentially help scientists regenerate organs, tissues and contribute to stem cell research. This new found information can benefit the future of medicine and longevity immensely.
Blog Post Author: Dana Hebert, Section 124-28
Article Citation
Jauregui, Andres. "'Paradox Worm' Xenoturbella Bocki Lacks Brain & Sex Organs, But Could Be Mankind's 'Progenitor'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.
Reece, Jane B., Neil A. Campbell, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, and Robert B. Jackson. Campbell Biology. 9th ed. Boston: Benjamin Cummings / Pearson Education, 2011. Print.
0 comments:
Post a Comment