Worms and Fruit Flies in Biology
Most students dissect worms many times over in biology class, as they are ideal for locating organs and experiments involving bodily processes. In addition, because fruit flies reproduce very quickly, they are useful in demonstrations of traits across generations. Most recently, scientists have used both common roundworms and fruit flies in experiments to study the process of how wounds heal.
Why Is There Skin?
The skin is very important to an organism’s survival. From fish and amphibians, to birds and reptiles, to humans and other mammals, the skin keeps pathogens out while keeping nutrients in, regulates body temperature and water, and controls a number of processes that are specific to each type of organism. For example, many worms and small insects breathe through their skin, while other animals have developed lungs that control respiration. In humans and other mammals, the skin is the largest bodily organ.
How Does Skin Heal?
Scientists know a great deal about how new skin forms after the healing process has already started, but not a great deal of what happens right after injury. When the immune system is already compromised, in diabetics, or in the elderly, the healing process after a wound is slow to start. Wounds are easily infected, as new skin does not grow to close the wound and protect the body from pathogens. Disease processes such as gangrene can set in, with serious, sometimes fatal consequences.
What Scientists Learn from Worms
The type of roundworms that scientists used in experiments have special genes that trigger healing when an injury is made to a worm’s sensitive, transparent skin. The chemical processes that are activated when a worm is wounded use calcium and proteins to close the wound very rapidly. For example, some genes enable proteins to circle the wound, pull it closed, and allow new skin cells to replace those lost from the wound. Rapid wound healing help worms to survive from predators in the wild that pierce their sensitive skin.
How Fruit Flies Heal
Fruit flies have a hard outer membrane, called an exoskeleton, that protects their internal organs from injury. However, some of the molecular processes involved in wound healing are very similar to the processes in wound healing in mammals. The advantage is that the genetics are much simpler in fruit flies. Specific genes trigger enzymes to create proteins that heal the wound, and other genes trigger processes to fight bacteria and clean the wound. In time, new bandages and medicines will be developed that apply what scientists are learning about the processes involved in wound healing.
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