Model organism refers to those species that are used to investigate multiple aspects of biology.
Summary
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- 1 Introduction
- 2 Definition
- 3 Selection criteria
- 4 Most studied model species
- 5 Requirements for its use
- 6 Main studies carried out
- 1 With Escherichia coli
- 2 With Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- 3 With enterobacteria phage T4
- 4 Drosophila melanogaster
- 7 Importance for science
- 8 Sources
Introduction
The evolution of current cells from a common ancestor has important implications for cellular and molecular biology as a science.experimental. Because the fundamental properties of all cells have been preserved during evolution, the basic principles obtained from experiments with a single cell type are generally applicable to other cells. Furthermore, due to the diversity of current cells, many of the experiments are easier to carry out with one type of cell rather than others. Different types of cells and organisms are used as experimental models to study various aspects of molecular and cellular biology. Because all living things on the planet behave the same molecules that store genetic informationand they do the same processes (with slight variations) for the replication, transcription and translation of nucleic acids, it is possible to study these and other processes in a huge variety of organisms and extrapolate them to others, although it is not possible to study the molecular mechanisms and Biochemists using a single organism, which is why researchers use viruses , bacteria , yeasts , plants , animals or cell cultures to test from antibiotics to cancer treatments , to understand mechanisms such as aging or the effect of drugs , contaminants andfood in the development of an organism.
Definition
A Model Organism refers to those species that have been intensively studied and are used to investigate multiple aspects of biology . Despite their differences in size and way of life, all these model organisms produce proteins that perform the same basic functions as in humans: they tell the organism when and how to grow, reproduce, fight stress and eventually die, that is, an organism is a model if it is being used as an analogue or that it is illustrative for something that by itself is not under direct study, as the whole of a group of animals or an ancestor irreparably extinct.
Selection criteria
Any animal selected for study is a model if it is taken as representative of some characteristics of a larger group (genus, family, order or phylum) or an inaccessible taxon. A characteristic of a model organism is general for the phylogenetic group if it is shared by the other members of the group, whose similarity is due to the fact that they share a common ancestor, a convergent evolution or even a similar function.
Most studied model species
Among the most studied model species are certain enteric bacteria, brewer’s yeast , mold , some nematodes and gastropods , the fruit fly, certain frogs and axolotls, chicken , mouse and recently the herbaceous plant known as arabidopsis or caterpillar and zebrafish.
Requirements for its use
These organisms are, for the researcher, the equivalent of a biological reagent, so its purity must be controlled and its biotic contamination must be avoided, therefore its production must be standardized, have defined genetic and sanitary characteristics, must be raised or cultivated in controlled environments that respect the requirements of the species and that ethical principles for its welfare are complied with.
Main studies carried out
With Escherichia coli
- Proteins involved in metabolism , DNA , RNA and protein synthesis
- Gene regulation
- Diana for new antibiotics
- Cellular cycle
- Signaling
With Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- Control of cell cycle and cell division
- Protein secretion and membrane biogenesis
- Cytoskeleton function
- Cell differentiation
- Aging
- Gene regulation and chromosome structure
With T4 phage of enterobacteria
- Proteins involved in the synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins
- Gene regulation
- Cancer and control of cell proliferation
- Transport of proteins and organelles within cells
- Infection and immunity
- Possible pathway for gene therapy
Drosophila melanogaster
- Body plan development
- Generation of differentiated cell lines
- Nervous system , heart and musculature formation
- Scheduled cell death
- Genetic control of behavior
- Cancer genes and control of cell proliferation
- Control of cell polarization
- Effects of drugs , alcohol and pesticides
Importance to science
The use of these few model organisms has provided important resources for the development of a series of tools, such as the sequence of practically all of its genome and molecular tests, development tables, standardized protocols for molecular biology and histology, manipulation methods genetic and embryo genetics and specialized lines of various types, including hybrid strains and genetic lines, all of which have made possible the breakthrough in biology .