Since the 1960s, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been increasingly essential to scientific studies. It has numerous traits that make it a great model for studying human genetics and illness.
The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model organism began in the 1960s. The zebrafish is a tropical fish endemic to southeast Asia. The zebrafish is roughly 2.5 cm to 4 cm long.
In its larval stages it is translucent and as it evolves to an adult it develops stripes that run along the length of the body and resemble blue in colour.
Males are slim and torpedo-shaped usually with a pink or yellow hue. Females tend to be less pink than the males and are bigger due to the eggs they carry.
Zebrafish have already been utilised to assist unlock a number of the basic processes behind muscular dystrophy, and are a key model for understanding the principles of development and diseases such as cancer.
The entire genome sequence of the zebrafish was published in 2013. Its genome is 1,505,581,940 base pairs in length and contains 26,247 protein-coding genes
The zebrafish is tiny and sturdy. They are cheaper to maintain than mice.
Break of dawn triggers mating in zebrafish (many other fish only lay eggs in the dark) (many other fish only lay eggs in the dark).
Zebrafish produce hundreds of progeny at weekly intervals providing scientists with an excellent supply of embryos to investigate.
They grow at an exceptionally fast rate, developing as much in a day as a human embryo develops in one month.
Because zebrafish embryos are essentially transparent, researchers may easily observe the formation of interior structures. Using a low-power microscope, one can observe every blood vessel in a living zebrafish embryo.
Due to the fact that zebrafish eggs are fertilised and develop outside of the mother's body, they are a great organism for studying early development.
Humans and zebrafish share a similar genetic structure. They share 70% of our genetic makeup.
Eighty-four percent of human disease-associated genes have a zebrafish counterpart.
As a vertebrate, zebrafish possesses the same organs and tissues as humans. Their muscle, blood, kidneys, and eyes share a number of characteristics with human systems.
Zebrafish are uniquely capable of repairing heart muscle. For instance, if a portion of their heart is removed, it can regrow in a matter of weeks. Scientists are attempting to identify the specific factors involved in this process in order to develop methods for repairing the heart in humans suffering from heart failure or heart attacks.
The zebrafish genome has been completely and meticulously sequenced. This has allowed scientists to explore the function of more than 14,000 genes by mutating them.