Zebrafish

About Zebrafish:

• It is a small (2-3 cm long) freshwater fish found in tropical and subtropical regions.
• The vertebrate takes its name from the horizontal blue stripes running the length of its body. 
• It is native to South Asia's Indo-Gangetic plains, where they are mostly found in the paddy fields and even in stagnant water and streams.
• IUCN Red List Status: Least concerned.
• Why do researchers investigate zebrafish?
  • It attracts developmental biologists due to its adequate regeneration capacity of almost all its organs, including the brain, heart, eye, and spinal cord.
  • It possesses several advantages over rodent models in the study of vertebrate development and disease.
  • These include hundreds of embryos in a single clutch and optical clarity of the developing embryo (have transparent larvae and embryos), which allows live imaging at the organism level.
  • They are easily bred in large numbers with a relatively low maintenance cost. 
  • Approximately 70 percent of zebrafish genes are also present in a similar form in humans.
  • Over 80 percent of genes that are known to trigger disease in humans are also present in this fish. 

Q1: What is the spinal cord?

The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerves and cells that extends from the lower portion of the brain to the lower back. Spinal cord functions include carrying signals between the brain and the rest of the body.

Source: Zebrafish use surprising strategy to regrow spinal cord