Authors: Goran Kovačević, Petra Korać, Davor Želježić, Mirela Sertić Perić, Petra Peharec Štefanić, Damir Sirovina, Maja Novosel, Sanja Gottstein
Abstract
Hydra is known for its natural occurrence, anatomical simplicity, intricate physiology, regenerative capacity, and ease of maintenance and manipulation in laboratory environments. It has proven to be a valuable model organism in various disciplines. Its applications range from developmental biology, stem cell research, animal physiology to environmental toxicology including ecotoxicology. The sensitivity of Hydra to a variety of environmental stressors and chemical agents such as metals, nanomaterials, and toxic organic compounds provides valuable insights into physiological mechanisms affected by environmental stressors and pollution, and Hydra can be of great use in environmental monitoring. Furthermore, since green Hydra lives in a symbiotic relationship with unicellular photoautotrophic algae, it is a suitable model organism for symbiosis research. Recently, it has become a popular model in holobiont research. The adaptability and importance of Hydra also extends to aquatic science and aquatic ecology, particularly in the context of monitoring and water pollution. Since the 1980s, Hydra has been increasingly used in various fields of research and has established itself as an important versatile model organism in numerous scientific studies. Hydra also represents an outstanding model in the fields of education and STEM. Hydra continues to be an important model in the 21st century, contributing significantly to our understanding of the biology of water and advancing freshwater research, and possibly finding its way to regenerative medicine and tumor pathobiology research.
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