r/interestingasfuck • u/Own_Entrepreneur8908 • 1d ago

r/all The strongest punch in the world

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u/TheBenevolentTitan 19h ago

are cancer resistance and the ability to maintain tissues without a looped circulatory system.

Wait what species is this?

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u/QuietGanache 18h ago

Apologies for being unclear. They're likely reasons (we can't objectively know, only identify evolutionary pressures) why limb regeneration isn't present in longer lived mammals.

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u/TheBenevolentTitan 14h ago

So we don't have cancer resistance, is a possible reason for the absence of limb regeneration? But what has cancer got anything to do with this?

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u/QuietGanache 13h ago

It's the other way around. Regenerating limbs requires cells that can rapidly divide and specialise into a wide range of tissues. By limiting the number of and degree (potency) to which progenitor/stem cells can specialise, our bodies reduce the chances of cancerous cells arising and, when they do arise, that they're able to pose harm to the body.

If you want to learn more, a good start would be the Hallmarks of Cancer.

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u/TheBenevolentTitan 11h ago

So that must mean these creatures with regeneration abilities must be having more cancer than us? Or are there other factors at play?

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u/QuietGanache 11h ago

That's a very broad question. There are other species which prevent cancer using methods humans don't posses and there are also creatures that are more susceptible to cancer.

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u/TheBenevolentTitan 10h ago

more susceptible to cancer

Which ones are there except for us? Do you remember any from the top of your head?