Mouse Lemur-animal Model For Biomedical Research

The discovery of animal models in biomedical studies is a boon to mankind.

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From fruit flies to chimpanzees, a variety of animals have made their fair contributions to science. But mice are the most significant of the lot. Infectious disease research, metabolic studies, drug testing, transplant studies, tissue graft studies, cancer research and the cosmetic industry has exploited the most from them. The main reason for their mundane presence in experiments is due to their physiological characteristics. Ease of handling, high fecundity, control of gene pool, small size, short life span, mammalian origin, large litter size, dietary similarities and economic viability have optimized the use of mice in research. A non-rodent model with high phylogenetic similarity to humans and having majority of these mice traits has entered the arena- The Mouse Lemur. Characteristics The grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), one of the smallest primates, are 40 g in weight with a lifespan of 1