To what the science refers when speaks about a "model" of something, and in this case, about an animal model? Exist a general perspective about the concept, beyond the specific definitions of specific interest topics?
A model, in science, is a simplified and more accessible version of a complex entity, though sharing several similarities with it. In the particular case of animals, since we share phylogenetic ancestries with many degrees, a model is an organism that is phylogenetically the closest possible to our ideal. Usually, because we are humans and research in humans is commonly banned by ethics, our ideal organism is the 'Homo sapiens', but a very common model organism is the mouse ('Mus musculus') or the rat ('Rattus norvegicus'). These models can be "better" than, say, a chick, if we are studying complex mental processes such as spatial navigation, because the rat brain resembles much more that of the human than it does the chick's. However, chick embryos are extremely useful as development models and can be followed much more easily than a rat. So, all in all, what a model is, is also intimately connected to our particular question. Extremely simple invertebrate organisms, for example, such as the sea snail, have given us much knowledge about the biochemistry of simple behaviours.
Animal model is a living, non-human animal used during the research and investigation of human disease, for the purpose of better understanding the disease without the added risk of harming an actual human being during the process. Animal models serving in research may have an existing, inbred or induced disease or injury that is similar to a human condition. The animal chosen usually meets a determined taxonomic equivalency to humans, so as to react to disease or its treatment in a way that resembles human physiology as needed. The use of animal models allows researchers to investigate disease states in ways which would be inaccessible in a human patient, performing procedures on the non-human animal that imply a level of harm that would not be considered ethical to inflict on a human.
Many drugs, treatments and cures for human diseases have been developed with the use of animal models. There are three main types of animal models Homologous, Isomorphic and predictive.
Homologous animals: same causes, symptoms and treatment options as would humans who have the same disease
Isomorphic animals: share the same symptoms and treatments
Predictive Animals: when animals strictly display only the treatment characteristics of a disease. This method is commonly used when researchers do not know the cause of a disease.
Check the attached file. It is a good paper discussing on animal ´models´.
Awanish Mishra : please quote the reference for the text about definition of animal model, thanks in advance.
http://www.eurekaselect.com/68738/article
Article Zebrafish: An Emerging Model System for Human Disease and Dr...
The Case for Animal Experimentation: An Evolutionary and Ethical Perspective by Michael Allen Fox , 1986
These were some references which I used to prepare notes for my understanding. I hope this would be ok.
This paper is useful:
Article A Brief History of Animal Modeling
and this paper too:
Article Animal Models are Essential to Biological Research: Issues a...
- Badges
- Science topic