regeneration
Meaning of regeneration: Regeneration occurs at different rates across the body, from the liver's substantial capacity to regrow tissue to the limited repair seen in nervous system injury.
Definition of regeneration
Regeneration is the biological process by which damaged, lost, or worn out tissue is regrown or replaced. It occurs continuously at a small scale throughout life, as the body replaces cells in tissues such as skin, the lining of the digestive tract, and blood, and it also occurs in response to specific injury.
The extent to which regeneration can restore tissue varies considerably by tissue type. The liver, for instance, has a notable capacity to regrow functional tissue after injury or partial removal, while other tissues, such as those of the central nervous system, regenerate far more slowly or incompletely following significant damage.
Understanding the biological signals that drive regeneration is an active area of research, since promoting more complete regeneration after injury, such as spinal cord damage or extensive tissue loss, could extend the body's natural repair capacity beyond what currently occurs on its own.
Used in a sentence
The research focused on the liver's capacity for regeneration following partial removal.
Good to know
Tissue regenerative capacity varies widely by organ, since the liver regrows substantially after injury while central nervous system tissue regenerates far less completely, a difference that shapes recovery expectations after damage to each.
Word origin
Where “regeneration” comes from
Formed from Latin re-, meaning again, and generare, meaning to bring forth or produce.