Respiratory tract

The laboratory mouse has developed into the preferred model system for biomedical research. Many investigators have turned to murine models of lung disease for several reasons. First, dense genetic and physical maps of the murine genome have been constructed and are available to the public. Because of similar synteny in murine and human genomes, knowledge of a defect in murine and human genomes, knowledge of a defect in a murine gene leading to a disease phenotype may elucidate corresponding human genes responsible for that genotype.