Rat
hide50 species
Stenomys Thomas, 1910
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus. Many members of other rodent genera and families are also called rats and share many characteristics with true rats.
Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size; rats are generally large muroid rodents, while mice are generally small muroid rodents. The muroid family is very large and complex, and the common terms rat and mouse are not taxonomically specific. Generally, when someone discovers a large muroid, its common name includes the term rat, while if it is small, the name includes the term mouse - scientifically, the terms are not confined to members of the Rattus and Mus genera. Compare the taxonomic classification of the Pack rat and Cotton mouse.
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News tagged with rats
Scientists are high on idea that marijuana reduces memory impairment
Nov 19, 2008 |
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The more research they do, the more evidence Ohio State University scientists find that specific elements of marijuana can be good for the aging brain by reducing inflammation there and possibly even stimulating the formation ...
Scientists discover gene that 'cancer-proofs' rodent's cells
Oct 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind—and now biologists ...
Scientists discover 21st century plague
Biology /
Nov 24, 2008 |
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Bacteria that can cause serious heart disease in humans are being spread by rat fleas, sparking concern that the infections could become a bigger problem in humans. Research published in the December issue of the Journal of ...
Scientists make paralyzed rats walk again after spinal-cord injury
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Sep 20, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (22) |
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UCLA researchers have discovered that a combination of drugs, electrical stimulation and regular exercise can enable paralyzed rats to walk and even run again while supporting their full weight on a treadmill.
Sugar can be addictive, scientist says
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 10, 2008 |
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A Princeton University scientist will present new evidence today demonstrating that sugar can be an addictive substance, wielding its power over the brains of lab animals in a manner similar to many drugs of abuse.
Grapes may aid a bunch of heart risk factors, animal study finds
Biology /
Oct 29, 2008 |
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Could eating grapes help fight high blood pressure related to a salty diet? And could grapes calm other factors that are also related to heart diseases such as heart failure? A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center ...
A Best Friend of Humanity: The African Giant Pouched Rat
Nov 25, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The African Giant Pouched Rats, Cricetomys gambianus have been trained to methodically sniff out land mines in war-torn regions of Africa. Apopo International based in Antwerp, Belgium is ...
Smart rat 'Hobbie-J' produced by over-expressing a gene that helps brain cells communicate
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Over-expressing a gene that lets brain cells communicate just a fraction of a second longer makes a smarter rat, report researchers from the Medical College of Georgia and East China Normal University.
Death by hyperdisease: DNA detective work explains the extinction of Christmas Island's native rats
Biology /
Nov 05, 2008 |
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It took less than a decade for native rats to become extinct on the Indian Ocean's previously uninhabited Christmas Island once Eurasian black rats jumped ship onto the island at the turn of the 20th century. ...
Aging impairs the 'replay' of memories during sleep
Jul 29, 2008 |
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Aging impairs the consolidation of memories during sleep, a process important in converting new memories into long-term ones, according to new animal research in the July 30 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findin ...
'American Diet' v. Atkins Diet
Oct 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- If people can learn anything from rats, what to eat might be one of the most useful lessons. University of South Florida Professor David Diamond, in the Departments of Psychology, Molecular ...
Stress rewires the brain to make rats creatures of habit
Jul 30, 2009 |
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Chronic stress rewires the brains of rats to make them creatures of habit who make rote decisions instead of changing their behavior to gain rewards, a study published Thursday has found.
Stem cells restore mobility in neck-injured rats (w/ Video)
Nov 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The first human embryonic stem cell treatment approved by the FDA for human testing has been shown to restore limb function in rats with neck spinal cord injuries - a finding that could expand the clinical ...
Brain chemical reduces anxiety, increases survival of new cells
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
May 12, 2009 |
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New research on a brain chemical involved in development sheds light on why some individuals may be predisposed to anxiety. It also strengthens understanding of cellular processes that may be common to anxiety and depression, ...
Compounds from soy affect brain and reproductive development
Jul 31, 2008 |
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Two hormone-like compounds linked to the consumption of soy-based foods can cause irreversible changes in the structure of the brain, resulting in early-onset puberty and symptoms of advanced menopause in research animals, ...
