modellorganism

A model organism, sometimes written as model organism in some languages, is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand fundamental biological processes. The premise is that discoveries made in a model organism will provide insight into the biology of other organisms, including humans.

Model organisms are selected for practical reasons: short generation times, ease of lab culture, genetic accessibility, and a well-supported set of resources and tools. They often have conserved genes and pathways that are representative of broader groups of organisms, allowing researchers to infer general principles of biology.

Common model organisms span microbes, plants, and animals: bacteria such as Escherichia coli; yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae; the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster; the plant Arabidopsis thaliana; the zebrafish Danio rerio; and mammals such as the laboratory mouse Mus musculus. Model systems are used to study development, genetics, physiology, disease, and drug action, often through genetic screens, functional genomics, and experimental manipulation.

Limitations include evolutionary distance from humans and simplified biology that may not capture organism-level complexity. Therefore, findings are weighed against data from other models and human data when possible. Ethical and welfare considerations apply, especially for vertebrate models.

Community resources and databases collect genetic and phenotypic data for model organisms, such as WormBase, FlyBase, Saccharomyces Genome Database, TAIR, and the Mouse Genome Database, enabling researchers to share knowledge and tools. Advances in genome editing and computational model systems continue to expand the role of model organisms in biology.