Planarians are free-living (nonparasitic) flatworms that belong to class Turbellaria in the phylum Platyhelminthes. They are often used in classroom experiments because they have the ability to regenerate amputated parts of their body. When a planarian is divided in half, their neoblasts (adult stem cells) will begin to multiply – eventually differentiating into the appropriate cell types required to regenerate the missing parts. In nature, planarians also use this ability as a means of asexual (one individual) reproduction, where one individual can split into front and rear halves that will both regenerate, thus resulting in two planarians. The two-headed example in the image is not at all typical and has only been induced experimentally in microgravity experiments – but it’s still cool!
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Melissa Sanchez Herrera and I are organizing a Sys-EB Section symposium for the 2019 EntSoc meeting in St. Louis, MO.
The symposium is entitled:
Bugs in Technicolor: How Color Research Advocates for Entomology
The reflection and emission of light from insect surfaces has both fascinated and inspired entomologists and the general public for centuries. The goal for our symposium is to provide a setting in which to discuss color research and its use in public outreach initiatives that aim to inspire insect curiosity and advocate for entomology. We have talks that will be given by entomologists from different continents / countries working on diverse, ingenuitive projects that incorporate insect coloration components including production, structures, perception and selection.
In addition to these talks, we intend to have an electronic exhibit of images, illustrations, and videos that fulfill these criteria and we are thus seeking submissions for this endeavor.
If you are interested in including an image please fill out the form below and upload your image / video!
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