The observation of animal regeneration in the 1700's challenged the idea of preformationism because of which of the following arguments?

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When evaluating why the observation of animal regeneration in the 1700s challenged preformationism, several possible explanations are considered and weighed.
Option 1: It suggested that some animals have god-like powers. This claim misattributes the phenomenon to supernatural agency rather than a biological implication. Preformationism deals with whether the organism’s structure is preformed or fixed in miniature; invoking divine powers does not address whether the body plan is irreversibly fixed or capable of restoration, so this option distracts from the core scientific issue.
Option 2: Humans were thought of as the perfect form, so animals shouldn’t perform feats like regeneration if humans could not. This option hinges on a normative comparison about perfection rather than the epistemic question of preformation. The central challenge from regeneration is about whether organisms could restore lost parts or reconstruct their body plan, which would undermine the idea that development is a single, preformed miniature within the egg. This choice confuses ethical or aesthetic judgments with the mechanistic argument against preformationism.
Option 3: Regeneration suggests that the body plan had not been irreversibly fixed, such as a homunculus in the early embryo. This is the key point, because preformationism posits that organisms are preformed in miniature, with an invariant, fixed blueprint. Observing that tissues can regrow and reestablish structures indicates flexibility in development, contradicting the notion of an unchanging, preformed being (the homunculus) and supporting the view that the body plan can be dynamic rather than irreversibly fixed.
Overall, the third option directly engages with the theoretical cornerstone of preformationism by challenging the idea of an unchangeable early embryo blueprint through the empirical observation of regenerative capacity, whereas the other options address peripheral or misaligned aspects of the broader debate.

BIOL5543.16559.202610 Exam 3

The observation of animal regeneration in the 1700's challenged the idea of preformationism because of which of the following arguments?

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