Path followed:
1. Is the fault in the components that perform any physical action?
Answer: No
2. Is the faulty component part of the mechanism’s body?
Answer: Yes
3. Is the faulty component in the structure of the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
4. Does the fault appear in components that provide rigidity to the mechanism?
Answer: No
5. Is the faulty component responsible for supporting other components?
Answer: Yes
6. Is the fault in critical components of the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
7. Does the faulty component control other parts of the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
8. Are there several internal resources that can be used by the mechanism?
Answer: Yes
30) Brown Hydra, Hydra oligactis
Brown Hydra can be found in freshwater in Australia, Europe, and North America (Weinberger). They use stinging tentacles on the top of their head to catch their prey. Brown Hydra has been found to be able to regrow their head and/or foot if it were to get cut or torn off.
Hydras are remarkable in the fact that they have three different kinds of stem cell throughout their entire body that are continuously replicating and differentiating into the appropriate structure. Stem cells can be found in the body column and are able to differentiate into the tissues and structures in the arm (Frank et al.). Interstitial cells, which are multipotent, are found in the spaces throughout the body and differentiate into neurons, gametes, nematocytes, and secretory cells (Frank et al.). If the head and/or foot happens to get cut off the body will undergo morphallactic regeneration, which is where the tissue near the wound site will remold to build the missing structures (Frank et al.). This means that the epithelial cells closest to the wound will stretch to fill in the missing piece. After that the cells in the tissue will dedifferentiate and re-differentiate into the cells needed to produce the head or foot.
Weinberger, Jana D. “Hydra Oligactis.” ADW. Animal Diversity Web, 7 June 1999. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.
http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hydra_oligactis/
Frank, Uri, Thomas Leitz, and Werner A. Muller. “The Hydroid Hydractinia: A Versatile, Informative Cnidarian Representative.” BioEssays 23.10 (2001): 963-71. Wiley Online Library. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bies.1137/abstract
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