Editing Zebrafish (section)

===Model characteristics===
As a model biological system, the zebrafish possesses numerous advantages for scientists. Its [[genome]] has been [[whole genome sequencing|fully sequenced]], and it has well-understood, easily observable and testable developmental behaviors. Its [[embryogenesis|embryonic development]] is very rapid, and its embryos are relatively large, robust, and transparent, and able to develop outside their mother.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Zebrafish Exposed |first1=Ralf |last1=Dahm |name-list-style=vanc |journal=American Scientist |volume=94 |issue=5 |year=2006 |pages=446–53 |url=http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/the-zebrafish-exposed |doi=10.1511/2006.61.446 |access-date=2012-11-15 |archive-date=2017-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418051522/http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/the-zebrafish-exposed}}</ref> Furthermore, well-characterized mutant strains are readily available.

Other advantages include the species' nearly constant size during early development, which enables simple [[staining]] techniques to be used, and the fact that its two-celled embryo can be fused into a single cell to create a [[homozygous]] embryo. The zebrafish embryos are transparent and they develop outside of the uterus, which allows scientists to study the details of development starting from fertilization and continuing throughout development. The zebrafish is also demonstrably similar to mammalian models and humans in toxicity testing, and exhibits a diurnal sleep cycle with similarities to mammalian sleep behavior.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Jones R |title=Let sleeping zebrafish lie: a new model for sleep studies |journal=PLOS Biology |volume=5 |issue=10 |pages=e281 |date=October 2007 |pmid=20076649 |pmc=2020498 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0050281 |doi-access=free}}</ref> However, zebrafish are not a universally ideal research model; there are a number of disadvantages to their scientific use, such as the absence of a standard diet<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Penglase S, Moren M, Hamre K |title=Lab animals: Standardize the diet for zebrafish model |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=491 |issue=7424 |page=333 |date=November 2012 |pmid=23151568 |doi=10.1038/491333a |doi-access=free |bibcode=2012Natur.491..333P}}</ref> and the presence of small but important differences between zebrafish and mammals in the roles of some genes related to human disorders.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Jurynec MJ, Xia R, Mackrill JJ, Gunther D, Crawford T, Flanigan KM, Abramson JJ, Howard MT, Grunwald DJ |display-authors=6 |title=Selenoprotein N is required for ryanodine receptor calcium release channel activity in human and zebrafish muscle |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=105 |issue=34 |pages=12485–12490 |date=August 2008 |pmid=18713863 |pmc=2527938 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0806015105 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2008PNAS..10512485J}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Rederstorff M, Castets P, Arbogast S, Lainé J, Vassilopoulos S, Beuvin M, Dubourg O, Vignaud A, Ferry A, Krol A, Allamand V, Guicheney P, Ferreiro A, Lescure A |display-authors=6 |title=Increased muscle stress-sensitivity induced by selenoprotein N inactivation in mouse: a mammalian model for SEPN1-related myopathy |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=6 |issue=8 |pages=e23094 |date=2011 |pmid=21858002 |pmc=3152547 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0023094 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2011PLoSO...623094R}}</ref>