Assessment of Study Learning and Memory in Invertebrates

Application of Invertebrates in Scientific Research

Invertebrates, in contrast to the cartilaginous or bony vertebrates, are a large group of animals that lacks a vertebral column or backbone. They are the primitive form of animals, accounting for about 97% of the total number of animal species. The biological study of invertebrates arose in the 18th century and became a model for research by the end of the 19th century. Currently, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the minuscule nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are the most used model invertebrates in the field of research, drug development, toxicity/efficacy testing, human disease modeling, and education.

The total mapping and sequencing of Drosophila chromosomes, coupled with developmental and behavioral similarities, enables it to be a useful tool for a series of biological and biomedical research, especially as a convenient and sensitive model for the investigation of human genetics and disorders. Specifically, more than 500 genes in Drosophila are sequentially matched to human disease sequences, including mutant alleles, human malignancies, and human nervous system diseases. Nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used in biological research due to their strong reproductive ability, short generation time, and low cost. Caenorhabditis elegans is an instrumental model for exploring the molecular mechanism of human physiologies and diseases, especially in the investigations of aging, sleep, Alzheimer's disease.

Fig.1 Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans.

Invertebrates for Learning and Memory Research

Invertebrates have been widely and successfully employed for experimental research of human neuroscience, including neuroethology, basic synaptic transmission, and disease animal modeling. As a model organism for neuroscience research, these invertebrates exhibit multiple advantages:

• easy accessibility and less complex neuronal networks.
• large neuronal cell diameter facilitates microelectrode observation and recording.
• less complex genome for easy gene manipulation.

Based on published data, a variety of invertebrates have been applied for different neurological learning and memory studies, covering octopuses, Aplysia, insect honeybees, ants, etc., among which fruit flies and nematodes are the most used ones.

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