Caenorhabditis Elegans

Caenorhabditis elegans ( /ˌkeɪnɵræbˈdɪtɪs ˈɛlɛɡænz/) is a free-living, transparent nematode (roundworm), about 1 mm in length, which lives in temperate soil environments. The name is a blend of Greek and Latin (Caeno, recent; rhabditis, rod-like; elegans, elegant). It was initially named Rhabditis elegans by Maupas (1900). It was then placed in the subgenus Caenorhabditis by Osche (1952) and then raised to generic status by Dougherty (1955). Research into the molecular and developmental biology of C. elegans was begun in 1974 by Sydney Brenner and it has since been used extensively as a model organism.