Chapter 16, Problem 16PIAT

Summary Introduction

To review:

Write a paragraph using the information provided in the case study for proving that animal models are crucial for important discoveries regarding human biology.

Introduction:

Skin color is often one of the first traits people notice in each other. Studies in zebra fish uncovered a mutation that altered a transport protein and resulted in light-colored fish. This discovery led to the finding that the same gene in humans has a strong influence on skin pigmentation in many populations. Some government officials questioned that research dollars intended to answer questions about human biology should be on human studies.

Zebrafish were studied for skin color, which is the first trait to be noticed by the majority of people toward each other. The studies revealed mutation that altered the transport protein and caused the production of light-colored fish.