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A mouse is a mammal
that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents in the
genus Mus and various related genera of the family Muridæ
(Old World Mice). The best known mouse species is the common house
mouse (Mus musculus). It is found in nearly all countries and,
as the laboratory mouse, serves as an important model organism
in biology; it is also a popular pet. (Non-biologists often use
the term "mouse" synonymously with "Mus musculus").
The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the
deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses.
These species of mice live commensally with humans. Although they
may live up to two years in the lab, the average mouse in the
wild lives only 3 months, primarily due to heavy predation.
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Mice are very
common experimental animals in biology and psychology primarily
because they are mammals, and thus share a high degree of homology
with humans, but can be manipulated in ways that would be considered
unethical to do with humans. Additional benefits include the fact
that mice are small, relatively inexpensive, and several generations
can be observed in a short period of time. The mouse genome has
been sequenced, and many genes which share homology to human genes
have been identified. In the 2006 Biosatellite project, a group
of mice will orbit Earth inside a spinning spacecraft to determine
how mice react to gravity equivalent to that of Mars. [1]
Images 1 Thorugh 5 Are From The National Cancer Institute
Images Number 6 Is From The U.S.D.A.
Image 7 Through 10 Are From The National Parks Service
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