ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Caenorhabditis elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans is a type of tiny worm that lives in the soil. It's so small that you might not even be able to see it with just your eyes! These creatures are really interesting because scientists use them to study things like genetics and cell development. They have a simple body structure that makes them easy to study - they have a head, a tail, and a tube-like body in between.

One of the coolest things about caenorhabditis elegans is that they only have around 1,000 cells in their entire body! That's way less than even your little finger has! Because they have so few cells, scientists can study how each one of them works and interacts with the others.

Another way that caenorhabditis elegans are useful is that their genes are very similar to ours. This means that scientists can study the worms to learn more about how our own genetics work, and to find ways to treat diseases. For example, they can create worms with specific genetic mutations to see what effect they have, and to test different treatments to see what works best.

Overall, caenorhabditis elegans are a really useful tool for scientists to learn more about how biology works. They might be small, but they're doing big things!