An Overview of C. elegans Biology

The establishment of Caenorhabditis elegans as a “model organism” began with the efforts of Sydney Brenner in the early 1960s. Brenner’s focus was to find a suitable animal model in which the tools of genetic analysis could be used to define molecular mechanisms of development and nervous system function. C. elegans provides numerous experimental advantages for such studies. These advantages include a short life cycle, production of large numbers of offspring, easy and inexpensive laboratory culture, forward and reverse genetic tractability, and a relatively simple anatomy. This chapter will provide a brief overview of C. elegans biology.

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Notes

* C. elegans eventually replaced C. briggsae as the species of choice.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN Kevin Strange
  2. Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN Kevin Strange
  3. Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN Kevin Strange
  1. Kevin Strange