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Model Organisms Lead the Way
A Brief Guide to Model Organisms
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The four model organisms shown here—yeast, worm, fly, and mouse—share vast numbers of genes, proteins, and even genetic pathways with humans.
Despite their obvious differences in size and way of life, all these model organisms make proteins that carry out the same core functions as in humans: telling the organism when and how to grow, reproduce, fight off stresses, and eventually die.
— Maya Pines
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A single, free-living cell, only 3 microns in diameter (4,000 of them lined up would measure an inch)
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A multicellular animal, 1 millimeter (0.04 in.) long
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A multicellular animal with complex behavior, 4 millimeters (0.16 in.) long
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Our closest relative among model organisms, 170 millimeters (6.6 in.) long
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5-6 feet tall
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Reproduces by budding and doubles every 90 minutes
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Lifespan: 2-3 weeks. A new generation every three days
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Lifespan: 2-3 months. A new generation every 10 days
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Lifespan: 2 years. A new generation every 9 weeks
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Lifespan: About 40 years in developing nations, 60-70 years in the United States and other industrial nations. A new generation every 20-25 years
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Its genome was sequenced in 1996
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Its genome was sequenced in 1998
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Its genome was sequenced in 2000
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Its genome was sequenced in 2002
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The human genome was sequenced in 2001
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12 million base pairs of DNA
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99 million base pairs of DNA
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165 million base pairs of DNA
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3 billion base pairs of DNA (as in humans)
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3 billion base pairs of DNA
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6,000 genes, of which at least 31 percent have human equivalents
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19,000 genes, of which 40 percent have human equivalents
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13,600 genes, of which about 50 percent have human equivalents
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Almost every human gene has a counterpart in the mouse, and some blocks of sequenced mouse DNA are proving impossible to tell apart from the human versions
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An estimated 40,000 genes
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