What is a model organism?
Q: What is a model organism?
A: A model organism is a non-human species that is studied over many years in order to understand fundamental biological phenomena.
Q: Why are model organisms studied?
A: Model organisms are studied to build up a lot of knowledge about them in order to gain insight into how other organisms work.
Q: What is the hope for discoveries made in model organisms?
A: The hope is that discoveries made in model organisms will give insight into how other organisms work.
Q: How are model organisms used in animal testing?
A: Model organisms are widely used in animal testing to explore potential causes and treatments for human disease when experimenting on humans would be impossible or less ethical.
Q: What enables the use of model organisms in animal testing?
A: The use of model organisms in animal testing is made possible by the similarities of all living organisms.
Q: Why are all living organisms similar?
A: All living organisms are similar because of their common descent and the conservation of metabolic and developmental pathways and genes over the course of evolution.
Q: What is the benefit of the conservation of metabolic and developmental pathways and genes over the course of evolution?
A: The benefit of the conservation of metabolic and developmental pathways and genes over the course of evolution is that it allows for similarities among living organisms, which in turn, allows for the use of model organisms in animal testing.
