QUESTION: “Explain why we use model organisms for research.”
Model organisms are a group of species of organisms that have been studied extensively, largely because they are easy to maintain under controlled laboratory conditions. The reason for them being studied is usually because they possess a number of experimental advantages. “The word model has many meanings, but in science, a model is a simplified system that is accessible and easily manipulated. A model organism is an animal, plant or microbe that can be used to study certain biological processes” (NIGMs, 2017).
These organisms are non-human species and they are used by scientists so that they can better understand the human biological systems so as to help solve current challenges that are being faced with human health. For example, scientists are using primates to study HIV, rabbits to study immunological behaviors of humans while mice are used to study aging processes in humans. As well as that, most of the drugs that are now available on the market go through rigorous clinical trials starting with isolated cell lines, then organisms like mice and monkeys and after the testing and sacrificing of many such organisms the drug will get approved for trials in human beings.
“There are different types of model organisms including: Genetic, Genomic and Experimental. Genetic model organisms are species amenable to genetic analysis and allow large scale genetic crosses. Genomic model organisms occupy a special position in evolution or have a particular genomic size or composition which can be used for reference e.g. the puffer fish. Experimental model organisms may not be genetically amenable but have certain other positives, specific to the experiment and what characteristics are being looked for” (Wikipedia, 2017). Some of the commonly used model organisms include; Escherichia Coli (E. coli),Saccharomyces Cerervisiae (S. cerervisiae), Schizosaccharomyces (S. pombe), Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), Zebrafish, Mus Musculus (mice), Amphibians and Birds.
Read the full paper for free here...MODEL ORGANISMS.pdf
