Growing a new body part comes naturally if you happen to be a starfish, salamander or certain kinds of lizard. Humans also have limited regenerative powers. For instance, the liver can regenerate itself after much of it has been surgical removed; the tips of injured fingers and toes can grow back under certain conditions; and our largest organ, the skin, regenerates itself roughly every month.
Scientists around the world are studying such phenomena in an effort to unlock nature’s seemingly miraculous restorative secrets. And the expectation is that one day the knowledge will help us grow new limbs and organs should we suffer a traumatic injury or illness.
