History of model organisms

Model organisms are animals, plants, or other living things that scientists study to learn more about how living things work in general. They are called “model organisms” because scientists can use them to learn about things that might apply to other animals, plants, and living things. For example, if scientists learn something about a model organism like fruit flies, that might also help them understand how other animals work.

The history of model organisms goes back hundreds of years. In 1665, the scientist Robert Hooke looked at the empty cells of a piece of cork under a microscope and noticed that the cells looked like tiny boxes. From this, he figured out that all living things are made up of cells. Then, in the late 1800s, scientists started studying fruit flies to learn more about how features and traits (like eye color) are passed down from one generation to another.

In the early 1900s, scientists started studying other model organisms, like the roundworm, the mustard plant, and the bacterium Escherichia coli. Today, model organisms are used in lots of different fields of science, like genetics, ecology, and medicine. By studying model organisms, scientists have come to understand many things about how living things develop, grow, and function.