Common transgenic animals, in order of complexity, include baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the nematode worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), and the mouse (Mus musculus). Evolutionary conservation means that their genes share a degree of homology with human genes, so that discoveries about function made with these organisms frequently apply to humans. While similar genetic manipulations can be performed in vitro using cell culture, transgenic organisms provide more physiologically relevant data, resulting from the interaction of gene products with all components of an intact organism. Transgenic organisms therefore provide models to explore gene function, gene control, and human diseases
How do we study what function(s) a particular gene has in a cell?
Common transgenic animals, in order of complexity, include baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the nematode worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), and the mouse (Mus musculus). Evolutionary conservation means that their genes share a degree of homology with human genes, so that discoveries about function made with these organisms frequently apply to humans. While similar genetic manipulations can be performed in vitro using cell culture, transgenic organisms provide more physiologically relevant data, resulting from the interaction of gene products with all components of an intact organism. Transgenic organisms therefore provide models to explore gene function, gene control, and human diseases