Zebrafish
18.11.2024
Zebrafish
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For Prelims: About Zebrafish, Features of the Zebrafish |
Why in the news?
Recently, Chinese astronauts successfully reared four zebrafish in space which was part of the Shenzhou-18 mission.
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.
- Habitat: 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.
Features of the 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.
Conservation status
- IUCN: Least concerned.
Source: India Today
With reference to Zebrafish, consider the following statements:
1. It is a freshwater fish found in tropical and subtropical regions.
2. It has adequate regeneration capacity of almost all its organs, including the brain and heart.
3. It is categorized as critically endangered species under IUCN Red list.
How many of the above statements are correct?
A.Only one
B.Only two
C.All three
D.None
Answer B