ATHYMIC MOUSE Meaning and
Definition
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An athymic mouse, also known as a nude mouse, refers to a strain of laboratory mice that are hairless and lack a thymus gland. The thymus is a key organ of the immune system responsible for the development and maturation of T-cells, a type of white blood cell crucial for immune responses. Athymic mice lack this gland due to a genetic mutation that prevents its formation.
These mice are most commonly used in scientific research for their unique characteristic of being immunodeficient. Their inability to produce mature T-cells allows scientists to better study the workings of the immune system and conduct experiments on transplantation, immunology, cancer, and infectious diseases.
Being hairless also has its advantages in research, as it enhances the visibility of skin changes, tumors, and any other abnormalities that might occur. Additionally, the lack of T-cell-mediated immune responses reduces the risk of rejection when studying the transplantation of cells or tissues.
Athymic mice are used extensively in the development and testing of new drugs, as their immunodeficient status allows for the engraftment of human tissues, tumors, and even immune cells. Some examples include grafting human tumors into these mice to evaluate their response to different treatment strategies or testing new immunotherapies.
Overall, athymic mice play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of immune system function, disease mechanisms, and development of potential therapeutic interventions.
Common Misspellings for ATHYMIC MOUSE
- zthymic mouse
- sthymic mouse
- wthymic mouse
- qthymic mouse
- arhymic mouse
- afhymic mouse
- aghymic mouse
- ayhymic mouse
- a6hymic mouse
- a5hymic mouse
- atgymic mouse
- atbymic mouse
- atnymic mouse
- atjymic mouse
- atuymic mouse
- atyymic mouse
- athtmic mouse
- athgmic mouse
- athhmic mouse
- athumic mouse
Etymology of ATHYMIC MOUSE
The word "Athymic" is derived from the Greek words "a" meaning "without" and "thymos" meaning "soul" or "spirit". "Mouse" is derived from the Germanic word "mus", which ultimately comes from Latin "mus". Therefore, the term "Athymic Mouse" refers to a mouse that lacks a thymus gland, a small organ in the immune system responsible for the development of T-cells, which are crucial for immune responses.
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