But it isn't feasible to study every single species on the
planet in depth- there are hundreds and thousands of types of
insects alone! Fortunately, it has become clear that there are
often many parallels between the biological systems at work in
many types of creature, from yeast to humans. This had led to
the establishment of a number of so-called "model organisms",
which are studied consistently by investigators the world over.
The consistent use of these particular critters allows us to
make and test ideas about biology in a rapid and reproducible
way. In the case of some very important mechanisms, the use of
very simple animals has managed to tell us a great deal about
humans. To do the same experiments with people would be very
time-consuming (not to mention unethical). The vast majority of
model organisms used by scientists in the UK are small simple
animals. The most common of these include microscopic nematode
worms, fruit flies and African claw-toed frogs. Or to give them
their official names, Caeno