Background:
Caenorhabditis elegans is a small roundworm usually found in soil that often feeds on bacteria among rotting vegetation and decaying organic matter; it is nonparasitic and nonpathogenic. Despite being a primitive invertebrate, C. elegans possesses many of the anatomical features and organs found in higher-level animals, especially pertaining to its nervous, reproductive, muscular, and digestive systems. Because C. elegans is transparent, easily observed and manipulated, has a short life cycle (2–3 weeks), and can be cultivated in large numbers under laboratory conditions, researchers frequently use it to study questions that would be difficult to explore directly in humans and other animals. In particular, because the cells of C. elegans hold steady in number and position in the body throughout its life, it is a popular model organism in developmental biology, embryology, genetics, and neuroscience —
**refreshed May 2026**
Sources:
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*Jung, Y., Kwon, S., Ham, S., Lee, D., Park, H. H., Yamaoka, Y., Jeong, D., Artan, M., Altintas, O., Park, S., Hwang, W., Lee, Y., Son, H. G., An, S. W. A., Kim, E. J. E., Seo, M., & Lee, S. V. (2020). Caenorhabditis elegans Lipin 1 moderates the lifespan-shortening effects of dietary glucose by maintaining ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Aging Cell, 19(6), e13150.
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*Leung, M. C. K., Williams, P. L., Benedetto, A., Au, C., Helmcke, K. J., Aschner, M., & Meyer, J. N. (2008). Caenorhabditis elegans: An Emerging Model in Biomedical and Environmental Toxicology. Toxicological Sciences, 106(1), 5-28.
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*Schulz, T. J., Zarse, K., Voigt, A., Urban, N., Birringer, M., & Ristow, M. (2007). Glucose restriction extends Caenorhabditis elegans life span by inducing mitochondrial respiration and increasing oxidative stress. Cell Metabolism, 6(4), 280-293.
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*Shen, P., Yue, Y., & Park, Y. (2018). A living model for obesity and aging research: Caenorhabditis elegans. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 58(5), 741-754.
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