Morphallaxis is the regeneration of the whole body that is reconstructed from a small body part.
Morphallaxis is the regeneration of a whole body from a small body part. When a Hydra is cut into two halves, each half generates the rest of the body resulting in two complete, functional, and independent Hydra. During morphallaxis, neighboring tissues of the small body part reorganize themselves to develop the rest of the body part. Two types of morphogenetic gradients are found in Hydra. They are the head activation gradient that directs one head formation and the head inhibition gradient that directs a foot formation.
Morphallaxis was discovered in hydra by Genevan naturalist Abraham Trembley. This type of regeneration is found mostly in invertebrates. A blastema is formed on the wounded site during epimorphosis. However, a blastema is absent in the morphallaxis process.
