Table 4.
Importance of different animal models and limitations in biological and medical science
| Sl. No. | Name of animal models | Importance in biological and medical science | Limitations | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rabbit | Used as model organism for surgically created osteoarthritis, study of drugs, cholesterol research, wound healing purpose, Alzheimers disease and cardiovascular diseases | High susceptibility to specific diseases, difficulties for genetic manipulation, with much rearing cost | [268–272] |
| 2. | Golden hamster | Employed for reproductive research (having short gestation period), important for micro-circulation research, infection and cancer model, vaccine research | Short lifespan, having developmental block in in vitro studies | [273–275] |
| 3. | Rats | Stress-free breeding, less animal handling and rearing care, minimum genetic variations | Not considerate as a suitable animal model for inflammation study | [276–278] |
| 4. | Mice | Act as model for wide range of human diseases, including cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, and genetic disorders; used for precision medicine research | [3,279] | |
| 5. | Ferret | A well-suited for studying respiratory viruses and several human diseases (cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, and certain types of cancer) | It require specific care and husbandry practices and prone to certain diseases | [170,280] |
| 6. | Zebrafish | High reproductive rate it enabling large-scale genetic studies and drug screenings. Best model for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes | Dissimilarity of some organs like the respiratory system and the reproductive system | [3,281] |
| 7. | Fruit fly | Fundamental genetic mechanisms, including gene regulation, development, and evolution, suitable diseases model like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s | It showing genetic redundancy and lack of adaptive immune system | [3,282] |
| 8. | Caenorhabditis elegans | It used for studied to understand the nervous system and behavior as shown similarities in neural circuitry and genetic makeup with humans | It highly temperature sensitive and lacking of complex anatomy | [283] |