How Starfish Grow a New Body from an Arm Explained for 8-Year-Olds

Hi there! Have you ever heard of a starfish? A starfish is a sea animal that looks like a star with five arms. What's really cool about starfish is that if one of their arms gets cut off or breaks, they can grow a new arm!

But even more amazing, some starfish can grow a whole brand new starfish from just one arm! Here's how it works step by step:

1. An arm breaks off: Sometimes a starfish's arm might get hurt or broken.
2. The arm and a little part of the center stay connected: The arm that broke off must have a little piece of the starfish's center body with it.
3. Regrowing a new starfish: That arm with the piece of the center can slowly grow into a whole new starfish all by itself!
4. Why can this happen? The starfish's body has a lot of special cells that can turn into different parts it needs, like arms or the center.

This is called regeneration, and it helps starfish heal and even make new starfish if needed. It's like magic, but it's a natural power they have!

Isn't it amazing how starfish can grow a new body from just one arm?