Related topics: proceedings of the national academy of sciences , immune system , obesity , nerve cells , genes
Mouse
hide30 known species
A mouse (plural mice) is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is also a popular pet. The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles. They are known to invade homes for food and occasionally shelter.
Although mice may live up to two and a half years in captivity, the average mouse in the wild lives only about four months,[citation needed] primarily owing to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds of prey, snakes and even certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, because of its remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, and its ability to live commensally with humans, the mouse is regarded to be the second most successful mammalian genus living on Earth today, after humans.
Mice can at times be harmful rodents, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. In western North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly hantavirus.[citation needed]. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats.[citation needed]
Primarily nocturnal animals, mice compensate for their poor eyesight with a keen sense of hearing, and rely especially on their sense of smell to locate food and avoid predators.
For more information about Mouse, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with mice
Why females live longer than males: is it due to the father's sperm?
Dec 01, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (20) |
12
Researchers in Japan have found that female mice produced by using genetic material from two mothers but no father live significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal and paternal genes. Their findings provide ...
Rat pack: Scientists warming up to African rodent
Nov 28, 2009 |
5 / 5 (10) |
0
(AP) -- Naked mole rats don't get cancer. They shrug off brushes with acid and age so well, some are older than the college-aged researchers handling them.
Study strengthens link between sirtuins proteins and life extension
Dec 14, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (9) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new paper from MIT biology professor Leonard Guarente strengthens the link between longevity proteins called sirtuins and the lifespan-extending effects of calorie restriction.
Up a little on the left... now, over to the right... Scientists find a source of nonallergic itch
Dec 22, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
0
Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists from Johns Hopkins have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.
Tiny RNA has big impact on lung cancer tumors
Dec 07, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
Researchers from Yale University and Mirna Therapeutics, Inc., reversed the growth of lung tumors in mice using a naturally occurring tumor suppressor microRNA. The study reveals that a tiny bit of RNA may one day play a ...
Enhanced sweet taste: This is your tongue on pot
Dec 22, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
0
New findings from the Monell Center and Kyushu University in Japan report that endocannabinoids act directly on taste receptors on the tongue to enhance sweet taste.
Dessert on your mind? Your muscles may be getting the message
Dec 01, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Even the anticipation of sweets may cause our muscles to start taking up more blood sugar, say researchers reporting in the December issue of Cell Metabolism. That message is delivered via neurons in the brain's hypothalamus contai ...
Caffeine doesn't reverse the negative cognitive impact of alcohol, study shows
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 07, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
2
People who drink may want to know that coffee won't sober them up, according to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they're drunk.
Low-density lipoprotein receptor reduces damage in Alzheimer's brain
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 09, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has received a lot of attention because of its connection with coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis, but now it appears as if it may have a beneficial influence in degenerative ...
An end to sleep problems? Researchers discover enzyme behind effects of sleep deprivation
Nov 26, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration ...
Researchers create first transgenic prairie voles
Dec 01, 2009 |
3 / 5 (1) |
0
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have successfully generated the first transgenic prairie voles, an important step toward unlocking the genetic secrets of pair bonding. The future ...
A reductionist approach to HIV research
Medicine & Health / HIV & AIDS
Nov 30, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A major obstacle to HIV research is the virus's exquisite specialisation for its human host - meaning that scientists' traditional tools, like the humble lab mouse, can deliver only limited information. Now, a team of researchers ...
Can cleft palate be healed before birth?
Dec 01, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
In a study newly published in the journal Development, investigators at the USC School of Dentistry describe how to non-surgically reverse the onset of cleft palate in fetal mice - potentially one step in the journey to a b ...
Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Prevent Chronic Lung Disease
Dec 01, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have discovered a possible way to protect the fragile lungs of premature babies by using stem cells harvested from bone marrow. In experiments on laboratory mice, ...
Researchers identify gene that spurs deadly brain cancer
Dec 03, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have identified a new factor that is necessary for the development of many forms of medulloblastoma, the most common type of malignant childhood brain cancer.
