A sea star that has the ability to regenerate amputated limbs must first undergo a repair phase to heal the exposed wound. Once the wound is healed, the sea star can begin to generate new cells, which in turn, sparks new growth. Regeneration can take anywhere from several months to years. Cell proliferation that results in the growth of the new limb occurs in the final phase. If the final phase is interrupted, the resulting new limb may be deformed.