Starfish by the starfish in an escape response. The loss of parts of the body is achieved by the rapid softening of a special type of connective tissue in response to nervous signals. This type of tissue is called catch connective tissue and is found in most echinoderms. An autotomy-promoting factor has been identified which, when injected into another starfish, causes rapid shedding of arms. The lifespan of a starfish varies considerably between species, generally being longer in larger forms and in those with planktonic larvae. For example, "Leptasterias hexactis" broods a small number of large-yolked eggs. It has an adult
Spiny mouse organism to study menstruation and reproductive disorders, as Mus musculus, the common laboratory mouse, does not menstruate. At least two species of African spiny mice, "Acomys kempi" and "Acomys percivali", are capable of autotomic release of skin upon being captured by a predator. They are the only mammals known to do so. They can completely regenerate the autotomically released or otherwise damaged skin tissue - regrowing hair follicles, skin, sweat glands, fur and cartilage with little or no scarring. It is believed that the corresponding regeneration genes could also function in humans. In a research article published on May 16,