Mouse
99% of human genes are found in mice allowing human genetic disorders and diseases to be studied in much greater detail
Nematode
Flatworms have a nervous system that includes a primitive brain, making them ideal for studying the development of nerve cells.
Pig
Pig heart valves have been used for many years to replace diseased or damaged human heart valves.
Quail
Research into head and facial development is an important use of quails.
Rat
Rats have frequently been used in research focusing on cardiovascular diseases, psychiatric disorders, spinal injury, stroke, diabetes, surgery, transplantation, auto-immune disorders, cancer and bone healing.
Sheep
Dolly the sheep is the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Clones can provide a greater understanding of the development of the embryo and of ageing and age-related diseases. Conventional sheep, and cattle, are also used in veterinary research.
Tamarin
These monkeys develop colon cancer in a very similar way to humans, so investigations of whether colon cancer is heritable – as it can be in humans – are now a focus of research. Other monkeys used in research include macaques and marmosets, mostly in brain research and in safety testing of new medicines.
Urchin
Understanding the reproductive processes of sea urchins could lead to solutions for human reproductive problems, including new approaches to contraception.
Vole
Voles are commonly used in studying social traits.
Watanabe rabbit
Watanabe rabbits have been used in the development of an artificial liver to remove excess cholesterol from the blood of sick children.
Xenopus
These frogs are vital in vertebrate biology, where they have been used to identify how cells become specialised for certain functions within the body, and how these cells contribute to the structure of the body during embryonic development.
Zebrafish
The zebrafish is important in studying develop-mental origins of health and disease.
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