In the film "Zebrafish and the human eye disorders" it is shown how zebra fish is used as a model system to discover more about human conditions and diseases. The researchers in this film have focused their attention on Retinitis pigmentosa, a group of hereditary disorders whose common feature is a gradual deterioration of the light sensitive cells of the eye's retina. A background document on Retinitis pigmentosa provides information on its development, occurrence and genetics.

Zebrafish, (Danio rerio) a tropical fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae), are now used to find out which genes are involved in the cause of this disease. It is a popular aquarium fish and an important model organism. For many years, scientists have relied on the mouse and the frog Xenopus laevis as research models for vertebrates (animals with backbones), but zebrafish have an important advantage for studying early development: It is possible for researchers to watch the changes that take place in their embryos from the moment of fertilization.

The eye is a complex organ, and the arrangent of the light sensitive cells in the eye are equally complex, but since zebrafish are also vertebrates their eyes are quite similar to human eyes. The range of tests that can be done with zebrafish, and not with humans, make it an excellent object of study. Read a background document on the zebrafish model system, providing the reasons why model systems are essential to study human diseases.

Package #4

This package shows how research on zebrafish contributes to the understanding of human eye disorders.

Click for all packages or use film-images below

EUSEM Films:

click to access

multilingual FAQs:

Only pages with this color scheme are part of this site.
Copyright -- Disclaimer -- Contact -- Links -- Add URL