Mice Flashcards
Scientific name for mice
Mus musculus
Order of mice
Rodentia
Family of mice
Muridae
Most common color of mice in research
Albino
4 Strains of mice genetics
- Outbred
- Inbred (isogenic)
- Congenic
- Transgenic
Result from random mating to achieve genetic variations to represent the diversity of human population
Outbred strain
Result of brother/sister, father/daughter, mother/son matings for a minimum of 20 consecutive generations
Inbred strain
Animals are genetically different at a specific locus
Congenic strain
The result of microinjection of DNA into mouse eggs for the production of very specific disease models
Transgenic strains
2 Most common strain of mice used in research
BALB/c and C57BL
Used in research more frequently because they are nicer
BALB/c
5 ecological types of mice
- Germ-free/axenic
- Gnotobiotic
- Specific pathogen free
- Conventional
- Sentinel animals
Ecological type that is free of ALL detectable microflora that must be housed in special circumstances and diets
NO MICROFLORA
Germ-free/axenic
Ecological type that is Associated known microflora
Gnotobiotic
Ecological type that is free of specific pathogens and has normal flora
Most common used in research
Specific pathogen free
Ecological type that is animals with undefined microflora and housed with no special precautions
Mostly pet store animals
Conventional
Ecological type of healthy animals placed in a room with other animals as a means of detecting the presence of a dz
AKA “surveillance animals”
Sentinel animals
Why are mice used more than any other animals in research? (7)
- Short life span
- Short gestation
- Lg. litter sizes
- Great genetic diversity
- Inexpensive
- Easy to maintain
- Good models for toxicity tests
Have a tendency to fight when they hit puberty, so should be housed alone
Males
When a dominant mouse in a group will remove the facial hair from all other mice in the cage
Barbering
Nice are active at night, so they are considered
Nocturnal
Most common cage type used
Shoe box cage
A cotton square mice can tear apart to keep them mentally stimulated and they can use as a nest
Nestlet
Mice have highly developed senses of
Smell and hearing