FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Care of Use of Animals in Biomedical Research
10. WHICH ANIMALS ARE STUDIED FOR THEIR UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS?
(Taken from Unit II, Chapter 2, of the Rx for Science Literacy teacher manual.)
Organism: Squid
System Studied: Nervous system
What is Studied & Why: Movement of nutrients through nerve cells are studied. They have the largest axons.
Human Counterpart: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — Lou Gehrig’s disease
Organism: Sea urchin
System Studied: Reproduction
What is Studied & Why: Chromosomes and heredity, cell growth and division, fertilization and embryonic development are studied. They have large, easily obtained gametes.
Human Counterpart: Birth defects due to chromosomal activity
Organism: Nudibranch (sea slug)
System Studied: Nervous system, Endocrinology
What is Studied & Why: Chemical processes in the brain are studied. — They have the largest brain cells that can be easily studied.
Human Counterpart: Diseases affecting the central nervous system
Organism: Horseshoe crab
System Studied: Nervous system
What is Studied & Why: Color vision and communications between the brain and sense organs are studied.
Human Counterpart: Color blindness
Organism: Steelhead trout
System Studied: Cardiovascular circulatory system
What is Studied & Why: Degenerative heart disease is studied.
Human Counterpart: Degenerative heart disease
Organism: Monkfish (angler fish)
System Studied: Endocrinology
What is Studied & Why: Hormone production, especially insulin production via growths in abdominal cavity, is studied.
Human Counterpart: Diabetes
Organism: Killifish (of Zanzibar)
System Studied: Cell growth
What is Studied & Why: Embryonic diapause caused by a chemical secreted by the female is studied.
Human Counterpart: Tumor growth
Organism: Watanabe rabbit
System Studied: Cardiology
What is Studied & Why: Watanabe rabbits were discovered by Yoshio Watanabe to have extremely high blood cholesterol levels. They die of heart attack by age 2.
Human Counterpart: Hyper cholesterolemia
Organism: Armadillo
System Studied: Reproduction, Developmental biology
What is Studied & Why: Armadillos can give birth up to three years after fertilization. They experience delayed implantation of the fertilized ovum and give birth to identical quadruplets. Their low body temperature allows leprosy to grow.
Human Counterpart: Twinning, menopause, infertility, leprosy
Organism: Opossum
System Studied: Reproduction, Embryonic development
What is Studied & Why: Exposed embryos in gray, short-tailed species and Virginia species are studied.
Human Counterpart: Development of infants
Organism: Ferret
System Studied: Immune system
What is Studied & Why: Both ferrets and humans are affected by closely related bacteria.
Human Counterpart: Gastritis and stomach ulcers
Organism: Woodchuck
System Studied: Immune system
What is Studied & Why: They develop hepatitis in the wild, recover, then contract liver cancer just like humans.
Human Counterpart: Hepatitis
Organism: Painted turtle and water snake
System Studied: Reproduction, Embryonic development
What is Studied & Why: Egg yolk production and major sex hormones are studied.
Human Counterpart: Blood lipid and cholesterol levels
Organism: Axolotls
System Studied: Circulatory system and cardiac muscles
What is Studied & Why: Heart and gill development and growth are studied. Once heart cells are damaged they do not grow back.
Human Counterpart: Heart attack
Organism:
Seal
System Studied:
Respiratory and Nervous systems
What is Studied & Why:
Young seals exhibit similar characteristics to humans when they hold their breath for long dives or when sleeping under water.
Human Counterpart: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
return to top
