Difference Between Fragmentation and Regeneration

Fragmentation and regeneration are two unique processes that enable organisms to multiply and develop in various ways. Fragmentation is a type of asexual reproduction in which an organism divides into fragments, each of which develops into a new, identical individual. Whereas, the process by which an organism grows back missing body parts is called regeneration. This process can happen naturally as an organism grows and develops or in reaction to harm or injury. In this article, we will look into the differences between fragmentation and regeneration in detail.

Difference Between Fragmentation and Regeneration

The following table lists the differences between Fragmentation and Regeneration:

Parameters	Fragmentation	Regeneration
Description	Organisms that undergo fragmentation, each part or fragment of an organism develops into another organism.	This occurs when an organism regains a lost body part as a lost organ.
New creature	From each piece, a new organism emerges.	No new organisms are created here.
Spreading	Fragmentation occurs only in a few organisms.	Every organism can exhibit the event of regeneration.
Examples of Fragmentation and Regeneration	Fragmentation occurs in organisms such as sponges and flatworms.	Examples of regeneration may include lizard tails and regrowing lost limbs.
Speed of the Reproductive Process	Relatively fast process.	Relatively slow process.
Common in Organisms with Simple Body Structures	Fragmentation occurs only in specific animal species.	All multicellular animals with complex physical organization have the power to regenerate damaged tissues at least partially.
Type of Asexual Reproduction	This is a type of asexual reproduction.	This may be asexual reproduction or regeneration of lost parts.
Types of Organisms Affected	Seen in invertebrate animal species.	Seen in both invertebrate and vertebrate animal species.

What is Fragmentation?

Fragmentation is whe­n a living thing splits into parts that grow into new individuals. It’s different from re­generation because­ the whole organism breaks into pie­ces during fragmentation. A good example­ is the green algae­ Spirogyra that can be found floating on water. The division that occurs during fragmentation can be intentional or unintentional. Unintentional fragmentation happens due to factors like activities, natural damage or predators. Additionally some organisms can develop areas or organs that’re easily detachable.

Fragmentation in Various Organisms

Fragmentation a common method of asexual reproduction in many organisms occurs in various fungi, cyanobacteria, some plants, and some animals including sponges, sea stars, and others.

Fragmentation in Plants

Fragmentation is a common form of vegetative or asexual reproduction in plants, which most often occurs when a rooted shoot separates from the main plant. Sometimes, plants also form spores on the leaves; which later separate and become independent plants. Other plants also produce organs like bulbils and turions. The method of fragmentation is quite common in non-vascular plants, including various types of mosses. The pieces are often carried by water, wind or other external sources, which when reached in an environment favorable and suitable for growth, take root and become a new plant. In addition to the natural method of asexual reproduction in plants, fragmentation is also used by humans to promote growth or multiplication. It involves various artificial methods of cutting, grafting, layering and division using organs such as rhizomes, corms and tubers.

Fragmentation in Animals

Fragmentation is a form of natural reproduction exhibited by certain animals like sponges, annelids, and flatworms. This process can be classified into two types: architomy and paratomy. Archectomy happens when an organism gets split into two parts and each piece has its organs and tissues functioning independently. Parotomy on the other hand involves a fragmentation where both fragments can develop as separate organisms, from head to tail while aligning their body axis.

What is Regeneration?

Regeneration refers to the process of tissue renewal, restoration and growth that makes cells, genomes, organisms and ecosystems resilient to natural events that result from perturbations. Furthermore, every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to giant elephants. Also, regeneration can be either complete or incomplete type. Complete regeneration occurs when the new tissue is identical to the lost tissue. In contrast, incomplete regeneration is where necrotic tissue is followed by the process of fibrosis. At its most elementary level, regeneration is mediated by molecular processes of gene regulation—morphogenesis, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation.

Hydra and planarian flatworms have long been model organisms for their regenerative abilities that are highly adaptive in nature. When they receive a wound, their cells become activated, resulting in the organ returning to its original position. Furthermore, regeneration of limbs is a common adaptive capacity practiced by metazoan creatures.

Regeneration in Various Organisms

The process of regeneration occurs in different ways among different organisms. While some plants and animals such as jellyfish replace missing body parts but regenerate their remaining tissues, other animals such as lizards replace missing body parts by developing a blastema – a specialized bud of cells that grows when damaged or divides rapidly to recreate the missing body part.

Another process of regeneration involves the method of compensatory hypertrophy – the method that human organs such as the liver undergo. In this process, when a certain part of an organ is destroyed, the remaining part eventually grows back to its original size and ensures that the organ functions normally.

FAQs – Fragmentation and Regeneration

1. What is the Difference Between Regeneration and Fragementation?

One difference between fragmentation and regeneration may be with respect to prevalence. Furthermore, fragmentation occurs only a limited number of times. On the contrary, regeneration is a phenomenon that is observed in every living organism present on earth.

2. What is the Similarity Between Fragmentation and Regeneration?

The main similarity between these two processes is that they are part of reproduction, with variations in how the process occurs in any given organism. The main disadvantage of fragmentation is that it results in loss of biodiversity because identical individual copies are produced.

3. What is Regeneration?

Regeneration is a process in which the organs of an organism regenerate into their original state after being cut into several pieces. This process is carried out by stem cells, which are specialized cells. It occurs in organisms with relatively basic structure and small numbers of specialized cells.

4. What is an Example of Regeneration?

The tailless lizard does not have to worry about the loss of part of its tail because it has the ability to regrow the missing part. Such growth occurs through the mechanism of regeneration.

5. What is an Example of Fragmentation?

When an organism breaks into many pieces, it is called fragmentation. Each fragment develops as an individual and is a clone of the original organism. Plants, fungi, sea stars, and annelid worms all exhibit fragmentation.