3 ms·
Can't claim to know personally but a quick search turns up numerous results claiming that mice and rats are similar to humans in anatomy, genetics, internal pro
by ddoolin 12y ago
Can't claim to know personally but a quick search turns up numerous results claiming that mice and rats are similar to humans in anatomy, genetics, internal processes, etc. I think they become even better candidates when you compare them to other possible test subjects, especially factoring in the cost/value. They are relatively cheap and easy to breed with almost no genetic variation (good for testing), accelerated lifespans, small, etc.
- JonathonW 12y agoYou do have to keep in mind that they're not a perfect model, though. For example, the "has been known to cause cancer in laboratory animals" label that used to be required on saccharin-containing products was removed after it turned out to be related to some unique characteristics of rodents' urinary tracts
- CamperBob2 12y agoThat, and they were feeding the rats ridiculous quantities of saccharin, as I recall.