Sometimes, of course, the pieces come together and a real clinical breakthrough occurs. But the scientists' main purpose is to keep following the leads that appear most likely to yield missing pieces of information, even if the exact applications of the new knowledge are not immediately evident. From the body of knowledge and understanding amassed by basic researchers, clinical investigators can construct more rational and systematic ways to approach the problems presented by the diseases plaguing us today. Untargeted basic research thus provides the fundamental theories and concepts for more disease-oriented investigations. Research Models Human beings are very complicated creatures, but our cells contain the same fundamental materials as those of all living things.
Researchers can therefore learn much about the way our cells work by studying simpler organisms.
Since cells vary in size, shape, and function, scientists can select cells with special characteristics that make it easier to examine a given problem or process. The goal of using such models is always to gain a general understanding of biological events that occur in or affect humans. As a result, much is already known about E. coli, and since all genetic material is similar, findings in bacteria have relevance to humans and other higher organisms. Scientists study the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, because it is more complex than E. coli but can still be easily maintained in the laboratory. Fruit flies have easily studied chromosomes and reproduce rapidly, so the effects of genetic changes can be determined relatively quickly.