Lecture 2

Question 1

What is a model organism?

Answer 1

A non-human species that is extensively studied to understand a particular biological phenomena

Question 2

Why can we use model organisms?

Answer 2

The common descent of all living organisms. Genetic material, metabolic and developmental pathways have been conserved over evolution too

Question 3

How are they picked?

Answer 3

Chance
Costs
Easy to maintain
Easy to phenotypically score
Easy to genetically manipulate

Question 4

6 reasons for using animal models

Answer 4

1. Can be examined over lifecourse
2. Can examine GxE as models are genetically-tractable (model disease) and can be examined in large numbers
3. Used to understand mechanisms (correlation to cause)
4. Transgenic reporter lines
5. Developments of new therapeutics
6. Whole organism or whole system analysis

Question 5

Explain a tissue specific knock out

Answer 5

Tg mouse 1: Gene of interest is flanked by lox sites
Tg mouse 2: Cre recombinase downstream of tissue-specific promotor
Cross animals and the gene of interest will be knocked out under specific tissue conditions