animal model n an animal sufficiently like humans in its anatomy, physiology, or response to a pathogen to be used in medical research in order to obtain results that can be extrapolated to human medicine also a pathological or physiological condition that occurs in such an animal and is similar (as in its pathology or physiology) to a human condition <experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is a useful animal model in the study of multiple sclerosis in humans>
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any condition found in an animal that is of value in studying a biological phenomenon, e.g., a pathological mechanism of an animal disorder useful in studying human disease.Medical dictionary. 2011.