Practice question

Primary distinction separating morphallaxis from epimorphosis lies in amount and mechanism of new tissue production. Morphallaxis achieves restoration by remodeling existing structures with minimal proliferation, repatterning via gradients, cell migration, selective death, mass remains constant or decreases as seen in Hydra. Epimorphosis entails extensive growth through blastema formation involving dedifferentiation, significant cell division increasing tissue mass to rebuild lost parts as in salamander limb. Stem cell contribution differs: morphallaxis uses transdifferentiation, epimorphosis uses proliferative progenitors. Hence quantitative difference in new growth amount defines conceptual separation.