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Zebrafish Heart Regeneration

Topic

  • Cell Biology
  • Cell Communication
  • Stem Cells
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Cardiovascular System

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Animations

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:02:30
Saved By
5 Users
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Description

This animation shows how zebrafish can rapidly heal wounds to the heart.

When the human heart is severely wounded — during, for example, a heart attack — it cannot regenerate the damaged muscle tissue. However, a damaged zebrafish heart can recover most of its original shape, size, and function over time. The animation illustrates the steps in this regeneration process, highlighting the role of cell signaling proteins called fibroblast growth factors (FGF).

This animation is a clip from a 2006 Holiday Lecture Series, Potent Biology: Stem Cells, Cloning, and Regeneration. Depending on students’ background, it may be helpful to pause the animation at various points to discuss different features of the heart or steps in the regeneration process.

Key Terms

blood vessel, cardiology, cell signaling, clot, epicardium, growth factor, muscle, tissue

Primary Literature

Poss, Kenneth D., Lindsay G. Wilson, and Mark T. Keating. “Heart Regeneration in Zebrafish.” Science 298, 5601 (2002): 2188–2190. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1077857.

To access this article, set up a free AAAS account.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.04.06

Materials

Large (MOV) 8 MB
Large (WMV) 8 MB
Small (MOV) 4 MB
Small (WMV) 4 MB
Transcript (PDF) 14 KB

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