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Animal ethology Comparative psychology Animal models · Zoology

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A model organism is a species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological and psychological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. This is possible because fundamental biological principles such as metabolic, regulatory, and developmental pathways, and the genes that code for them, are conserved through evolution.

Often, model organisms are chosen on the basis that they are amenable to experimental manipulation. This usually will include characteristics such as; short life-cycle, techniques for genetic manipulation (inbred strains, stem cell lines, and transfection systems), and non-specialist living requirements. Sometimes, the genome arrangement facilitates the sequencing of the model organism's genome, for example, by being very compact or having a low proportion of junk DNA.

When researchers look for an organism to use in their studies, they look for several traits. Common among these are size, generation time, accessibility, manipulation, genetics, conservation of mechanisms, and potential economic benefit. As comparative molecular biology has become more common, some researchers have sought model organisms that represent assorted lineages of life.

Contents 1 Important model organisms in psychology 1.1 Invertebrates 1.2 Vertebrates 2 Model organisms used for specific research objectives 2.1 Sexual selection and sexual conflict 2.2 Hybrid zones 3 References 4 See also 5 External links

Important model organisms in psychologyEdit

InvertebratesEdit

• Arbacia punctulata, the purple-spined sea urchin, classical subject of embryological studies
• Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode, usually called C. elegans^[1] - an excellent model for understanding the genetic control of development and physiology. C. elegans was the first multicellular organism whose genome was completely sequenced
• Drosophila, usually the species Drosophila melanogaster - a kind of fruit fly, famous as the subject of genetics experiments by Thomas Hunt Morgan and others. Easily raised in lab, rapid generations, mutations easily induced, many observable mutations. Recently, Drosophila has been used for neuropharmacological research^[2]. (Molecular genetics, Population genetics, Developmental biology).
• Euprymna scolopes, the Hawaiian bobtail squid, model for animal-bacterial symbiosis, bioluminescent vibrios.
• Hydra, a Cnidaria, is the model organism to understand the evolution of bilaterian body plans.
• Loligo pealei, a squid, subject of studies of nerve function because of its giant axon (nearly 1 mm diameter, roughly a thousand times larger than typical mammalian axons)
• Stomatogastric ganglion, arthropods digestive systems are a model for motor pattern generation seen in all repetitive motions
• Tribolium castaneum, the flour beetle - a small, easily kept darkling beetle used especially in behavioural ecology experiments.

VertebratesEdit

• Cavius porcellus, the guinea pig, used by Robert Koch and other early bacteriologists as a host for bacterial infections, hence a byword for "laboratory animal" even though rarely used today.
• Rat (Rattus norvegicus) - particularly useful as a toxicology model; also particularly useful as a neurological model and source of primary cell cultures, owing to the larger size of organs and suborganellar structures relative to the mouse. (Molecular evolution, Genomics)
• Mouse (Mus musculus) - the classic model vertebrate. Many inbred strains exist, as well as lines selected for particular traits, often of medical interest, e.g. body size, obesity, muscularity. (Quantitative genetics, Molecular evolution, Genomics)
• Zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio), a freshwater fish, has a nearly transparent body which provides unique visual access to the animal's internal anatomy throughout its life. Zebrafish are used to study development, toxicology and toxicopathology^[3], specific gene function and roles of signaling pathways.
• Xenopus laevis, the African clawed toad, also used in development because of its large cells, esp. egg cells.
• Takifugu rubipres, a pufferfish - has a small genome with little junk DNA
• Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) - an important respiratory and cardiovascular model
• Chimpanzee
• Oryzias latipes, Medaka (the Japanese ricefish) is an important model in developmental biology, and has the advantage of being much sturdier than the traditional Zebrafish.

Model organisms used for specific research objectivesEdit

Sexual selection and sexual conflictEdit

• Callusobruchus maculatus, the bruchid beetle
• Chorthippus parallelus, the meadow grasshopper
• Coelopidae - seaweed flies
• Diopsidae - stalk-eyed flies
• Drosophila spp. - fruit flies
• Gryllus bimaculatus, the field cricket
• Scathofaga stercoraria, the yellow dung fly

Hybrid zonesEdit

• Bombina bombina and variegata
• Podisma spp. in the Alps

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Riddle, Donald L.; Blumenthal, Thomas; Meyer, Barbara J.; and Priess, James R. (Eds.). (1997). C. ELEGANS II. Woodbury, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Press. ISBN 0-87969-532-3. Full text available on-line.
2. ↑ Manev H, Dimitrijevic N, Dzitoyeva S. (2003). Techniques: fruit flies as models for neuropharmacological research.. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 24 (1): 41-43.
3. ↑ Spitsbergen J.M. and Kent M.L. (2003). The state of the art of the zebrafish model for toxicology and toxicologic pathology research--advantages and current limitations. Toxicol Pathol. 31 (Supplement), 62-87. PubMed Abstract Link => PMID 12597434.

See alsoEdit

• Animal model
• Ensembl genome database of model organisms
• Knockout mouse

External links Edit

• Wellcome Trust description of model organisms

• WWW Virtual Library guide to several model organism resource lists

• The Generic Model Organism Database project

Major Model Organisms in Psychology studies (Please edit)
Monkey | Dog | | Rat | Mouse

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