线虫动物是（Nematoda）动物界中一个较大的类群，已知约15000种，有人估计有50万种。分布很广，自由生活种类在海水、淡水、土壤中都有，有的以藻类、真菌等为食，有的吃轮虫等；寄生种类寄生在人、动物和植物的体内，危害较大。
自从人类基因组计划完成后，令生物学家迷惑不解的是：动物(线虫、苍蝇和人类)好像都有相同数目的组成蛋白质的基因——大概20,000个。
Ever since the human-genome project was completed, it has puzzled biologists that animals, be they worms, flies or people, all seem to have about the same number of genes for proteins-around 20, 000.
这次试验中使用的动物是老鼠，这种动物和以前用于试验的线虫和果蝇比起来已经很接近人类了。
But that is much closer to humans than the nematode worms and fruit flies which were the subjects of previous successful experiments on drug-induced life extension.
“控制热量”从线虫类动物到哺乳动物（包括人类）的一切生物都起作用，这在整个行业中已经众所皆知。
“Caloric restriction”, as it is known in the trade, works for everything from threadworms to mammals (people included, as far as can be ascertained without the luxury of controlled experiments).
应用推荐