Discover the mystery of deer horns

Stem cells play an important role in deer's special ability to re-grow new horns, according to a study by the Royal Veterinary University of England.

Experts hope this work could one day pave the way to repairing damaged human tissue and Parkinson's disease.

Deer are the only species in the mammals capable of reproducing a perfect body part - in this case a set of bone horns covered in velvet skin. Professor Joanna Price said: ' Horn reconstruction is still one of the mysteries of biology but we are getting closer to understanding the mechanisms involved .'

Horns are structures that grow every year, die, fall and then regenerate. They grow within three to four months, one of the fastest growing living tissue types. At the end of the mating season, deer lose their horns to conserve energy. The following spring, a new pair of horns grew.

Research suggests that stem cells are the basis of this process. It can be regulated by hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.

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