Question

What animal model first helped in establishing the cause of the human disease beriberi?

Answer 1

Chickens were the first animal model to help in establishing the cause of beriberi, leading to the discovery of vitamin B1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The animal model that first helped in establishing the cause of the human disease beriberi was the chicken. In 1897, Christiaan Eijkman observed that chickens fed with unpolished rice did not suffer from beriberi, a disease similar to the one seen in humans, whereas those that were fed polished white rice did. Eijkman concluded that something in the rice husk (polishings) prevented the disease, later understood to be thiamine, or vitamin B1.