Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

What type of animals are carefully monitored to ensure they do not harbor certain pathogenic organisms?

1. Conventional Animals

2. Specific Pathogen-Free Animals

3. Gnotobiotic Animals

4. Germfree Animals

The correct answer is: Specific Pathogen-Free Animals

Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) animals are those that are carefully monitored to ensure they do not carry certain pathogens, which can include viruses, bacteria, and parasitic organisms. The term "specific pathogen-free" indicates that these animals are known to be free of specific pathogens that are significant for biomedical research and animal health. SPF animals serve a crucial role in research as they provide a controlled environment for experiments where researchers need to eliminate the variability and potential confounding factors introduced by infectious agents. This allows for more reliable data regarding the effects of treatments, medications, or disease processes. In contrast, conventional animals may be exposed to a variety of pathogens, while gnotobiotic animals are associated with a defined set of microorganisms and can be used to study interactions between those specific microbes and the host. Germfree animals, on the other hand, are completely free of all microorganisms, but they are not monitored for specific pathogens as they do not accommodate any pathogens to begin with. Therefore, the meticulous monitoring for particular pathogenic organisms distinctly characterizes SPF animals, making this choice the most accurate among the options provided.