Starvation, rejuvenescence and acclimation in Planaria dorotocephala

C. M. Child
1914 Development, Genes and Evolution  
In an earlier paper (CHILD '11) on senescence and rejuveneseence in Planaria dorotocephala the writer reached the conclusion that as the animals decrease in size during an extended period of starvation the general rate of metabolism deereases and that when animals redueed in size by starvation are again fed, the rate of metabolism undergoes a marked increase and the animals become physiologically as well as morphologically young. The experimental basis for this conclusion was a eomparison of
more » ... ability of starved and fed animals to acclimate to low concentrations of alcohol and other anesthetics. It was found that in general individuals and even regions of the body with a higher rate of metabolism, so far as could be determined showed a greater capacity to become acclimated to these reagents than those with a lower rate. The eapacity of the starved, reduced animals to acclimate was determined to be very much less than that of fed animals, consequently the conclusion was drawn that the starved animals possessed a lower rate of metabolism than,the fed animals. This conelusion is incorrect and the purpose of the present paper is to correct this error and to add further data bearing upon the problem. As a matter of fact the rate of metabolism in starving individuals of Planaria dorotocephala and other species of l:'lana~qa which have been tested is higher than
doi:10.1007/bf02161524 fatcat:xy2sc7jq7zbeld3xkn3rycsvye