Infographic: How Tadpoles Use Glucose to Fuel Tail Regrowth

Unlike other fast-growing cells, regenerating tadpole cells fuel growth using the pentose phosphate pathway rather than glycolysis, a study indicates.

Written byNatalia Mesa, PhD

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Tadpole tails regenerate when lost (1). In this study, researchers found that to do so, tadpoles increase the production of genes for proteins that shuttle glucose into the cell (2). Glucose feeds into the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) (3). The PPP produces two molecules, NADPH and ribonucleotide-5-phosphate (R5P), which are precursors for fatty acids and nucleotides, respectively (4). The cells use fatty acids to build more cell membrane, and nucleotides to build more DNA as cells rapidly divide and increase their numbers. This leads to tissue growth, and eventually, the tadpole has its tail back.

Infographic showing the process of tail regeneration in tadpoles

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Meet the Author

Natalia Mesa, PhD
As she was completing her graduate thesis on the neuroscience of vision, Natalia found that she loved to talk to other people about how science impacts them. This passion led Natalia to take up writing and science communication, and she has contributed to outlets including Scientific American and the Broad Institute. Natalia completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Washington and graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. She was previously an intern at The Scientist, and currently freelances from her home in Seattle.
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