Visual Screen
Visual inspection of mutants
Between P0 and P14 the mutants are inspected visually every week, thereafter bi- weekly to detect any signs of gross physical abnormalities and/or overt behavioral abnormalities. They are also visually examined prior to any phenotype screening.
For that purpose body size, head and back shape, placement and appearance of legs and tail, coat length and appearance, ear length, etc. are compared among litter mates while the mice are in their cage; the animals are also lifted into the air by their tail, and gently dropped to the surface to observe reflexes in mid-air and on the surface at recovery. Subsequently, they are picked up by their neck to observe coat appearance along the ventral surface and sides, toes, legs, genital area, and whiskers. The mice are also observed for potential behavioral abnormalities, e.g. slow or skewed movements, tremors, high- or low activity, aggressiveness etc..
