Models of Disease 2 Flashcards
Why are model organisms essential for understanding fundamental biological processes ?
Conserved Mechanisms: Many cellular and molecular pathways are shared across species, making model organisms a proxy for studying human biology.
Experimental Control: Easier to manipulate genetically or experimentally compared to humans or larger animals.
Ethical Considerations: They provide alternatives to direct experimentation on humans.
Cost and Feasibility: Cheaper and faster than working with humans or other complex systems.
What are the main model organisms used in research ?
Bacteria: Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Yeast: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Roundworm: Caenorhabditis elegans
Fruit Fly: Drosophila melanogaster
Zebrafish: Danio rerio
Mouse: Mus musculus
Arabidopsis: Arabidopsis thaliana (a plant model)
