C. elegans (Caenorhabditis elegans)

C. elegans, or Caenorhabditis elegans, is a tiny, transparent roundworm about 1 millimeter long, widely used in scientific research. Originally found in soil, it’s a model organism for studying genetics, development, and neurobiology due to its simple anatomy and well-mapped genome. C. elegans has a fixed number of cells, making it easier to study cell development and function. Researchers use it to investigate fundamental biological processes, including aging and disease, because its genetic machinery is similar to that of humans, allowing insights that can benefit medicine and biotechnology.