Invertebrate Model System
Invertebrate Model System - Related Videos
08:44
Invertebrate Lifespan Quantification
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2023
Many animals naturally stop growing upon reaching adulthood, after which they undergo aging or "senescence" until dying. The amount of time between an organism\'s birth and death is called its lifespan, which can be influenced by various biological and environmental factors. By exposing organisms to different growth conditions, scientists can better understand the factors affecting lifespan. Flies and worms are ideal organisms to perform such experiments, given their short generation time and...
09:23
Use of the Invertebrate Galleria mellonella as an Infection Model to Study the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex
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Cited by 10 •
2019
Galleria mellonella was recently established as a reproducible, cheap, and ethically acceptable infection model for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Here we describe and demonstrate the steps taken to establish successful infection of G. mellonella with bioluminescent Mycobacterium bovis BCG lux.
06:00
Experimental Protocol for Using Drosophila As an Invertebrate Model System for Toxicity Testing in the Laboratory
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Cited by 10 •
2018
In this paper, we provide a detailed protocol for exposing species in the genus Drosophila to pollutants with the goal of studying the impact of exposure on a range of phenotypic outputs at different developmental stages and for more than one generation.
08:30
Maintaining Laboratory Cultures of Gryllus bimaculatus, a Versatile Orthopteran Model for Insect Agriculture and Invertebrate Physiology
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Cited by 6 •
2022
This paper outlines basic methods to standardize important factors such as density, feed availability, hydration source, and environmental controls for the long-term rearing of laboratory cultures of the edible cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus.
08:25
Impedance Pneumography for Minimally Invasive Measurement of Heart Rate in Late Stage Invertebrates
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Cited by 4 •
2020
Measuring heart rate during a thermal challenge provides insight into physiological responses of organisms as a consequence of acute environmental change. Using the American lobster (Homarus americanus) as a model organism, this protocol describes the use of impedance pneumography as a relatively noninvasive and nonlethal approach to measure heart rate in late stage invertebrates.
FAQs
Their value comes from combining experimental tractability with biological conservation. Researchers can alter genes or neural activity, map the relevant circuit, and then measure a defined behavioral response. This progression helps test whether a cellular or circuit-level change is associated with learning, memory, sensory processing, or motor control.
They are not interchangeable experimental platforms. Fruit flies and nematodes support powerful genetic approaches and relatively simple neural networks, whereas mollusks and crustaceans can provide identifiable neurons and well-characterized behaviors. Selecting among them lets investigators match an organism’s specific strengths to the mechanism or behavior under study.
Genetic manipulation changes selected biological components, while circuit mapping identifies how neurons are organized and connected. Used together, they can relate a manipulated component to a defined neural pathway and then to an observable response. This combination supports mechanistic analysis rather than relying only on behavioral description.
A study may begin with genetic manipulation, followed by circuit mapping or electrophysiological recording to examine neural activity. Behavioral analysis then evaluates the resulting response. Comparing these levels of evidence allows researchers to connect cellular activity with nervous-system function and behavior, providing a structured way to test a mechanistic hypothesis.
These models support investigations of learning and memory, sensory processing, and motor control, as well as mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative disease. Their tractable experimental design allows researchers to test hypotheses efficiently and examine how changes in genes, neurons, or circuits produce changes in defined behaviors.
Results provide a basis for clarifying nervous-system mechanisms in a controlled setting before findings are evaluated in more complex systems. This staged use supports efficient hypothesis testing: investigators can first examine a specific cellular or circuit hypothesis, then determine which observations warrant evaluation in organisms with more complex neural organization and experimental contexts.