Why are some organs in the body renewable, and others are not?

Scientists have been trying to find the answer to this question for a long time. The good news is that after years of research, we now have some idea of ​​the mechanism behind this miracle.

What is a cell?

You probably already know that the body is made up of cells. Sometimes we call cells " building bricks of life ". Nature creates every part of our body with cells. In other words, if you've ever played with LEGO, the cells are like LEGO pieces. Like LEGO blocks, cells come in many shapes and colors. Cells can also do many different things.

Picture 1 of Why are some organs in the body renewable, and others are not?
The body is made up of cells.

Your skin is made up of many different cells. For example, some of them create hair, and others create scars when you have a cut.

Even your blood is made up of many different cells. Red blood cells will make your blood red.

Back to the main question.

Some cells in our bodies are special, because they can multiply. Not only that, these special cells can turn into other cells. The names of those special cells are called " stem cells ," and they are key in the process of regenerating our organs.

Which organ on the body can regenerate itself?

Reconstruction is when the organs in the body repair themselves after damage. The organs can be damaged if we are injured or seriously ill.

Skin- like organs (the skin is the largest organ of the body!) Need regular regeneration. Skin stem cells produce new cells when old ones are lost, just like when we were cut off by a knife.

Our liver is also very good at regenerating, because they can also create new cells. The liver cells are called "hepatocytes" . Hepatocytes begin to multiply when the liver is damaged, so it can be said that hepatocytes act like stem cells.

The intestine is another good example of an organ that can regenerate itself. Our intestines regenerate constantly, even when we're perfectly healthy. They lose cells during the digestion of food, but the stem cells in the intestine multiply to keep this vital organ functioning properly.

Picture 2 of Why are some organs in the body renewable, and others are not?

Which organ in the body has poor regeneration?

The brain can't really replicate itself effectively because when the brain is damaged, its cells are difficult to create new cells. That's because the brain has very few special cells - or stem cells.

Over the past few years, we have discovered several areas of the brain that can be regenerated. But we still need more research to understand how it works.

And one more thing we know well: the brain regenerates better when we are young, and lessens as we get older.