Table of contents:
- How can the human heart grow again if there is damage?
- Can other human organs grow again like the liver?
- Then why is there still liver disease that attacks humans?
The human body has been designed in such a way with amazing abilities. One of the abilities possessed by the human body is to regenerate (renew) the liver. The human liver, which is also called the liver, can indeed grow back if there is damage or if you donate part of your liver to someone else. In simple terms, this renewal process is similar to a lizard's tail that will grow again if it breaks.
How could the human heart grow again? Check out the full explanation below, yes.
How can the human heart grow again if there is damage?
A number of studies have even succeeded in proving that your liver can grow again even though only 25 percent of the remaining organs are still functioning.
The regeneration process can occur because hepatocytes, the main cells that make up the liver, are able to multiply. Hepatocytes work like stem cells (stem cells) in the sense that hepatocytes can multiply. After the hepatocytes multiply, other cells will also follow and break down into a variety of different cells. The new cells then form a new structure, resembling the original human liver.
Even though it can grow again, a liver that has undergone regeneration (repair or renewal) will not be exactly the same as before. The size may be the same, but the shape may be different. Its ability to carry out metabolic functions may not be as good as your original organ. This all depends on how strong the multiplication and breakdown of cells occurs during the regeneration process. The reason is, hepatocyte cells are not as sophisticated as stem cells.
Can other human organs grow again like the liver?
Only the human heart has so far been able to regenerate or grow back. Other parts of your body, such as your bones and skin, can indeed repair themselves. However, hepatocyte cells can only regenerate hepatocyte cells, not other cells that may be needed.
This is because the human liver is an organ whose job it is to accommodate and remove toxins in the body. This organ is the most prone to damage. If the liver stopped functioning, humans could die in an instant. So, the human heart has a special system to regenerate when a tissue or part is destroyed.
Meanwhile, humans can still survive without certain body parts, such as feet or hands. So instead of wasting too much energy to regenerate parts of the body that are less vital, the human body is more concerned with the regeneration of vital organs.
The lizard's tail itself can grow again in a short time because the size and body tissue system of the lizard is not as big and as complex as a human. So, the energy needed to grow the tail after breaking off is not too big.
Then why is there still liver disease that attacks humans?
Unfortunately, the hepatocytes that make up your liver have limitations. If the damage done to the liver is too excessive, hepatocytes cannot regenerate.
In addition, if the damage is severe enough, scar tissue will grow to cover the liver. This scar tissue eventually replaces the damaged tissue, instead of the new tissue formed from hepatocyte cells. This is why you can still get cirrhosis until liver failure.
So the best way to maintain human liver health is to stop smoking, limit the consumption of alcoholic drinks, avoid foods that have been contaminated with pesticides and other harmful chemicals, and lead a healthy lifestyle.
