mouse

A mouse can refer to two different things: a small mammal of the genus Mus and a common computer input device. The animal is a small to medium-sized rodent found worldwide, with a pointed snout, long tail, and soft fur. The house mouse, Mus musculus, is the most familiar species and often lives in close association with humans. Mice are typically omnivorous, nocturnal, and good climbers, and they reproduce rapidly, with litters that help populations grow despite predation. They play important ecological roles as seed dispersers and prey, but they can also be pests and disease vectors in human settlements. Domestic and laboratory mice are derived from wild populations and vary in coat color and size due to selective breeding. Mice have long been used in scientific research because of their genetic similarity to humans and their well-characterized biology.

The computer mouse is a handheld pointing device that translates hand movements into cursor movement on a computer screen. It was developed in the 1960s, with early prototypes created by Douglas Engelbart and colleagues and later popularized by the Xerox PARC and Apple ecosystems. The first mice used mechanical sensors such as wheels to detect movement; modern mice mostly rely on optical or laser sensors. Typical features include one or two buttons and often a scroll wheel, with wired and wireless (including Bluetooth) models in common use. The device remains a central interface for graphical user interfaces, enabling precise selection, dragging, and navigation in software. The term “mouse” is thought to refer to the device’s shape and its tail-like cord in early wired models.