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khchris(original) · 09.18.2006, 06:43 PM

Octopus
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates scientific procedures which may cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm to "protected animals"; it refers to these as "regulated procedures". Protected animals are defined in the Act as all living vertebrate animals, except man, as well as one invertebrate species, the common octopus. The octopus was added 12 years ago after extensive discussion concluded that its well developed nervous system may make it capable of feeling pain. However, no regulated procedures have been carried out using the octopus since its inclusion. [0]

Pig
The release of the pig genome sequence has resulted in an increase in medical research using these intelligent animals. Stroke research is just one area in which pigs and miniature pigs have generated new insights. Transplanting genetically modified pig cells could hold the key to treating patients with stroke, and indeed other brain disorders, like Parkinson's disease. This process of transplanting genetically modified animal tissues, cells and organs into humans (xenotransplantation) has potential for treating a number of diseases. Pig heart valves have been used for many years to replace diseased or damaged human heart valves. [3,574]

Quail
Research into head and facial development is an important use of quails. In one study, the embryos from both quails and ducks were used to implant neural crest cells (simple cells that arise very early in development) from one species into the other. The result was quails with duckbills or "duails", and ducks with quail beaks or "qucks". This suggests that head and facial diversification is due to neural crest cells, and further work should help to unravel the underlying causes of craniofacial defects, which are among the most common birth defects. Quails are also used to test the safety of agrochemicals in the environment. [quail: 1,025 all birds: 113,156]

Rat
The lab rat is the latest animal to spill its genetic secrets, and after man and mouse, was the third mammal to have its genome sequenced. This will further raise the rat's high profile in medical research, where it is the second most commonly used mammal after the mouse. Over the last century, the rat's image has been transformed from plague carrier to indispensable tool in experimental medicine and drug development. 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. In drug development, the rat is routinely used to test the efficacy and safety of potential medicines prior to human clinical trials. [424,527]

Sheep
A 6.6kg Finn Dorset lamb 6LLS was born after a 148 day gestation period on 5 July 1996 – the birthday of Dolly the sheep. This animal is undoubtedly the world's most famous sheep: the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Despite some controversy, the benefits of successful animal cloning could be enormous. Research aims to produce medicines in the milk of such animals, for example, the blood clotting agent factor IX for haemophilia or alpha-1-antitrypsin for cystic fibrosis and other lung conditions. Clones can also 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. [29,329]

Tamarin
Cotton-top tamarin monkeys have a high rate of spontaneous colon cancer. They 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. [marmosets & tamarins: 910, all primates: 4,652]

Urchin
The study in sea urchins of the molecular processes that drive cell division in all organisms led to the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2001. Scientists have found that the key to species-specific fertilisation in sea urchins is a sperm protein called bindin. While mammal eggs - mouse and human, for instance - don't have a thick jelly coating like sea urchin eggs, they do have complex sugars on the surface, and it is likely that these sugars attach to sperm cell proteins to trigger reproduction. 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. A particular gene that produces a protein called vasopressin in their brains contributes to these behaviours. Adult male offspring with the long version of the gene have more of the protein in brain areas involved in social behaviour and parenting. These males tend to investigate female odours, greet strangers more readily and nurture their young. So variability in the length of the gene could help account for differences in normal human personality traits, such as shyness, and could perhaps influence conditions like autism and social anxiety disorders. [up to 2,333 in the 'other mammals' category which also includes bats and shrews]

Watanabe rabbit
Medical researchers are indebted to the Watanabe rabbit – a breed that suffers from a rare genetic defect causing fatally high levels of blood cholesterol. A similar gene defect in children causes cholesterol levels between three and seven times higher than normal, usually leading to death before their teens. Watanabe rabbits have been used in the development of an artificial liver to remove excess cholesterol from the blood of these children, and are proving crucial in the search for better treatments. [all rabbits: 22,818]

Xenopus
Xenopus Laevis is a species of frog native to Africa, which was used for many years as a biological assay to determine human pregnancy; female Xenopus respond to a hormone present in pregnant women's urine (chorionic gonadotrophin) by laying eggs. They are still 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. In cell biology and biochemistry, they have proved essential in studying chromosome replication, control of the cell cycle, and various signaling pathways. [all amphibians: 20,970]

Yellow-beaked cleaner shrimp
When you're a small shrimp in the fish world, it pays to know how to dance. The yellow-beaked cleaner shrimps perform a special 'rocking dance' to advertise their parasite cleaning services to host fish. Dancing guarantees the tiny crustacean easy access to food. These tiny shrimps remove parasites from more than 35 different species of coral reef fish such as coral trout, rock cod and sweetlip and will even move in and out of their mouth and gills without being eaten. This research supports the idea that unrelated organisms can communicate with each other via advertising signals.

Zebrafish
The zebrafish is important in studying develop-mental origins of health and disease. Their embryos are transparent and develop outside the body, allowing simple study of the developing embryo. Zebrafish research provides a unique visual approach to under-standing the developmental defects in adult diseases and age-related abnormalities, such as cardiovascular diseases. Fish are the third most commonly used protected species in research after mice and rats: other types of fish are widely used in safety tests for environmental protection. [all fish: 232,854]

09.18.2006, 06:43 PM	#69
khchris(original) 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: LA Posts: 708	Octopus The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 regulates scientific procedures which may cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm to "protected animals"; it refers to these as "regulated procedures". Protected animals are defined in the Act as all living vertebrate animals, except man, as well as one invertebrate species, the common octopus. The octopus was added 12 years ago after extensive discussion concluded that its well developed nervous system may make it capable of feeling pain. However, no regulated procedures have been carried out using the octopus since its inclusion. [0] Pig The release of the pig genome sequence has resulted in an increase in medical research using these intelligent animals. Stroke research is just one area in which pigs and miniature pigs have generated new insights. Transplanting genetically modified pig cells could hold the key to treating patients with stroke, and indeed other brain disorders, like Parkinson's disease. This process of transplanting genetically modified animal tissues, cells and organs into humans (xenotransplantation) has potential for treating a number of diseases. Pig heart valves have been used for many years to replace diseased or damaged human heart valves. [3,574] Quail Research into head and facial development is an important use of quails. In one study, the embryos from both quails and ducks were used to implant neural crest cells (simple cells that arise very early in development) from one species into the other. The result was quails with duckbills or "duails", and ducks with quail beaks or "qucks". This suggests that head and facial diversification is due to neural crest cells, and further work should help to unravel the underlying causes of craniofacial defects, which are among the most common birth defects. Quails are also used to test the safety of agrochemicals in the environment. [quail: 1,025 all birds: 113,156] Rat The lab rat is the latest animal to spill its genetic secrets, and after man and mouse, was the third mammal to have its genome sequenced. This will further raise the rat's high profile in medical research, where it is the second most commonly used mammal after the mouse. Over the last century, the rat's image has been transformed from plague carrier to indispensable tool in experimental medicine and drug development. 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. In drug development, the rat is routinely used to test the efficacy and safety of potential medicines prior to human clinical trials. [424,527] Sheep A 6.6kg Finn Dorset lamb 6LLS was born after a 148 day gestation period on 5 July 1996 – the birthday of Dolly the sheep. This animal is undoubtedly the world's most famous sheep: the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Despite some controversy, the benefits of successful animal cloning could be enormous. Research aims to produce medicines in the milk of such animals, for example, the blood clotting agent factor IX for haemophilia or alpha-1-antitrypsin for cystic fibrosis and other lung conditions. Clones can also 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. [29,329] Tamarin Cotton-top tamarin monkeys have a high rate of spontaneous colon cancer. They 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. [marmosets & tamarins: 910, all primates: 4,652] Urchin The study in sea urchins of the molecular processes that drive cell division in all organisms led to the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2001. Scientists have found that the key to species-specific fertilisation in sea urchins is a sperm protein called bindin. While mammal eggs - mouse and human, for instance - don't have a thick jelly coating like sea urchin eggs, they do have complex sugars on the surface, and it is likely that these sugars attach to sperm cell proteins to trigger reproduction. 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. A particular gene that produces a protein called vasopressin in their brains contributes to these behaviours. Adult male offspring with the long version of the gene have more of the protein in brain areas involved in social behaviour and parenting. These males tend to investigate female odours, greet strangers more readily and nurture their young. So variability in the length of the gene could help account for differences in normal human personality traits, such as shyness, and could perhaps influence conditions like autism and social anxiety disorders. [up to 2,333 in the 'other mammals' category which also includes bats and shrews] Watanabe rabbit Medical researchers are indebted to the Watanabe rabbit – a breed that suffers from a rare genetic defect causing fatally high levels of blood cholesterol. A similar gene defect in children causes cholesterol levels between three and seven times higher than normal, usually leading to death before their teens. Watanabe rabbits have been used in the development of an artificial liver to remove excess cholesterol from the blood of these children, and are proving crucial in the search for better treatments. [all rabbits: 22,818] Xenopus Xenopus Laevis is a species of frog native to Africa, which was used for many years as a biological assay to determine human pregnancy; female Xenopus respond to a hormone present in pregnant women's urine (chorionic gonadotrophin) by laying eggs. They are still 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. In cell biology and biochemistry, they have proved essential in studying chromosome replication, control of the cell cycle, and various signaling pathways. [all amphibians: 20,970] Yellow-beaked cleaner shrimp When you're a small shrimp in the fish world, it pays to know how to dance. The yellow-beaked cleaner shrimps perform a special 'rocking dance' to advertise their parasite cleaning services to host fish. Dancing guarantees the tiny crustacean easy access to food. These tiny shrimps remove parasites from more than 35 different species of coral reef fish such as coral trout, rock cod and sweetlip and will even move in and out of their mouth and gills without being eaten. This research supports the idea that unrelated organisms can communicate with each other via advertising signals. Zebrafish The zebrafish is important in studying develop-mental origins of health and disease. Their embryos are transparent and develop outside the body, allowing simple study of the developing embryo. Zebrafish research provides a unique visual approach to under-standing the developmental defects in adult diseases and age-related abnormalities, such as cardiovascular diseases. Fish are the third most commonly used protected species in research after mice and rats: other types of fish are widely used in safety tests for environmental protection. [all fish: 232,854]
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