Model organisms in biology: Scientific and other uses

摘要

A remarkable feature of modern biological research has been the use of several organisms as "model" systems. Starting with Mendel working with his garden peas, investigators have used a variety of organisms in their research, for instance Zea mays, Drosophila melanogaster, Escherichia coli, Dictyostelium discoideum, Caenorhabditis elegans and Arabidopsis thaliana (should we include in this List the house mouse which once had its tail cut off for 19 generations?). The areas of genetics and Developmental biology have made spectacular progress thanks to the deployment of these convenient Organisms.