Axolotl Speech

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Perhaps the “Holy Grail” of all human capabilities is cell regeneration; a superhuman ability science has not yet achieved. This is especially important to those who have lost limbs and other body parts to diseases and accidents. Unfortunately, a human being cannot regrow or redevelop anything but the liver, fingertips, and the endometrium. (Source 3) With this in consideration, there are creatures who are capable of such phenomena, namely amphibians such as the axolotl. The axolotl (pronounced axe-uh-lot-uhl) is used for medical research because of their regenerative properties that give the creatures the ability to survive and flourish through even the worst injuries. The Ambystoma Mexicanum goes by many names and is most commonly known as the axolotl. The axolotl is a salamander native to Lake Xochimilco, located in Mexico, and is only found in this location in the wild. (Source 3) The axolotl is critically endangered and possibly completely extinct in the wild, but thrives in captivity and the pet trade.…show more content…
Therefore, it is crucial that the axolotl has a strong backup system for incidents as such. The backup system of the axolotl begins with macrophages, as discussed by Tanya Lewis in the article “Missing Parts?” (Source 5). Macrophages are immune cells that assist in the seamlessness of the regeneration process or the prevention of scarring and disfigurement. It can be inferred that the “unlocking” of these specialized immune cells and how they work in the axolotl could be the missing link to the step forward in science towards human regeneration. This would be especially useful to humans in situations where a limb cannot be saved, or a proper organ donor cannot be
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