Most people think of scientists as people who sit in laboratories all day, experimenting on rodents.
While it is true that scientists do experiments on rodents, there is a good reason for it. Rats and mice are a good way to represent humans in experiments.
They are easy to care for and reproduce quickly and they have been used extensively in biomedical research.
The use of rodents in experiments has been a controversial topic for centuries and there are many different reasons why they were chosen as the model organism.
The most commonly accepted reason is that rats and mice share many characteristics with humans, including size, lifespan, reproductive rate, and their ability to be bred in captivity.
This makes them an ideal candidate for research on disease prevention and treatment because they can provide a good approximation of what might happen if the same experiment was conducted on humans.
Keep in mind that only the advantages of rapid reproduction in rodents only benefit scientists, but in a house, it can lead to a severe infestation!
Why do scientists use rats?
The laboratory rat has made essential contributions to cardiovascular medicine, brain regeneration, herid cicatrization, diabetes, transplants, behavior studies, and space research.
Rats have also been extensively used to test the efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals. Improved models in all of these areas of research should be the outcome of our new understanding of the rata genoma.
Contrapartes in the rata exist in almost all human genes associated with diseases.
Identifying them should aid researchers in developing genetic models of human diseases in rat models.
In psychology experiments, rats are frequently employed to examine behavior. Their brains are larger than mice’s, and the animals are more intelligent and less fearful.
Although rats do not ‘think’ like humans, several aspects of their brain anatomy are similar to the more primitive portions of human brains, allowing them to be used to simulate some human behaviors.
Why do they use mice for experiments?
In terms of anatomy, physiology, and genetics, the mouse is very similar to humans.
Because the mouse genome is so close to our own, animal genetic research can help researchers better understand human disorders.
Mice are cost-effective since they are inexpensive and simple to maintain.
Mice are ideal for researching complicated disorders like atherosclerosis and hypertension since many of the genes that cause these conditions are shared by mice and humans.
Insights into the genetic risk factors for various diseases in the human population come from mouse research.
What is the difference between a rat and a mouse for research?
While mice and rats have some physiological and behavioral similarities, there are numerous key physiological and behavioral distinctions that researchers must consider when determining which to utilize for a certain application.
-
Handled for humans:
When the rats are handled by humans, they are easier to handle and show less stress. They may also be taught to lie still during certain treatments, avoiding the need for anesthesia.
Mice are more susceptible to stress as a result of repeated handling and are more likely to require anesthesia during treatments.
-
Ability to socialize:
Social cognition differs significantly between rats and mice, which could be essential in studies of schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (ADD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and mood disorders.
In social environments, rats are less territorial and hostile, as they like being with other rats.
Mice are more resistant to interacting with other mice and exhibit more aggressive behavior in social circumstances.
-
Size and weight:
Adult rats weigh up to 10 times as much as adult mice, making them the preferred model for surgical procedures, particularly those involving the brain and spinal cord.
Surgery is often easier and causes less tissue damage in a larger animal.
Rats are also preferable for imaging because of their bigger size, which allows for better resolution.
The tiny size of mice has several advantages, such as requiring lower drug dosages, making drug development studies more cost-effective.
Mice are also superior optogenetics models because their smaller brains allow light to reach deeper brain regions more easily.
Why are more white mice used in the lab?
In mice and other experimental animals, albinism can be used as a visible genetic marker.
Scientists were already generating genetic maps for mice based on apparent Mendelian features before the significance of DNA was acknowledged.
What happens to lab rodents after testing?
While some animals may be repurposed or even adopted, the majority are terminated in a compassionate manner.
This is frequently due to the fact that certain data, such as organ samples, can only be obtained after the animal has been euthanized and the body has been exposed to further examination.
Is it cruel to test on mice?
According to PETA, every year, more than 110 million mice and rats are murdered in laboratories in the United States.
They are subjected to a variety of abuses, including toxicological tests (in which they are slowly poisoned to death), severe burn experiments, and psychological experiments that produce panic, anxiety, depression, and helplessness.
They are electroshocked in pain experiments, have their bodies damaged in experimental procedures, and have cocaine and methamphetamine injected into them.
In genetic modification research, they are given malignant tumors and injected with human cells.
Despite the fact that these creatures feel pain and suffer just as much as dogs, cats, and rabbits, they are not covered under the Animal Welfare Act’s inadequate protections for these other species.
Experimenters are not required to administer pain medication to mice and rats because they are not protected by law.
Many scientists believe that the use of rodents in experiments is ethical because they share many characteristics with humans.
They are relatively small, have a short lifespan, and can reproduce quickly which allows for more data to be gathered over an extended period of time.
Additionally, rodents are easy to breed and maintain in captivity which makes them ideal test subjects for many different types of experiments.
Many people disagree with this point-of-view though citing animal cruelty as their primary concern given how rats are treated during these studies (often being starved or restrained).
In conclusion, mice are often used in experiments because they represent a good way to study human beings.
They can be found everywhere from homes, to laboratories around the world and their reproduction rate is very high which makes them easy test subjects for scientists.
However, laboratory conditions for experimentation with rats and mice are not the most optimal or considered.
