Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Human-Macaque Contact and Zoonotic Infections in Wild Taiwanese Macaques: Evidence From Southern Taiwan.

American journal of primatology·2026

Same author

Same-Sex Sexual Behavior in Male Toque Macaques (Macaca sinica aurifrons) of Lower Hanthana, Sri Lanka.

Archives of sexual behavior·2026

Same author

Experimental Immigration Mediates Ecological Selection and Drift in Monarch Microbiome Assembly.

Ecology letters·2025

Same author

Psychological self-medication in mammals: A dialogue between natural observations and laboratory research.

Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)·2025

Same author

Crowding reduces per-capita parasite infection risk in a butterfly host.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Same author

Inferring the relative importance of navigation and landscape effects for migratory populations using agent-based models.

Ecological modelling·2025

Same journal

Hunting ecology predicts eye arrangements in the modular visual system of spiders.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Sub-second fluctuations between top-down and bottom-up modes distinguish diverse human brain states.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Queen bees offload pesticide burden to eggs when social buffering is overwhelmed.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Pitch selectivity in ferret auditory cortex.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

A cell size-dependent competition between geometry and polarity governs nuclear and spindle positioning in early embryos.

Current biology : CB·2026

Same journal

Trophic cascades drive sustainability in the agricultural heritage rice-fish coculture system.

Current biology : CB·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Inducing Apical Periodontitis in Mice

Inducing Apical Periodontitis in Mice

Published on: August 6, 2019

Animal medication.

Jacobus C de Roode¹, Michael A Huffman²

¹Biology Department, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|September 10, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Animals across diverse species, from ants to apes, self-medicate using natural substances like plants and clay. This behavior helps them combat infections, parasites, and manage stress, demonstrating a widespread natural pharmacy.

More Related Videos

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

Published on: February 10, 2023

Systemic Treatment for Postnatal, Juvenile, and Runted Adult Mice by Retrobulbar Sinus Injection

Systemic Treatment for Postnatal, Juvenile, and Runted Adult Mice by Retrobulbar Sinus Injection

Published on: May 17, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 13, 2025

Inducing Apical Periodontitis in Mice

Inducing Apical Periodontitis in Mice

Published on: August 6, 2019

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

In Vivo Gene Delivery into Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells Through Mammary Intraductal Injection

Published on: February 10, 2023

Systemic Treatment for Postnatal, Juvenile, and Runted Adult Mice by Retrobulbar Sinus Injection

Systemic Treatment for Postnatal, Juvenile, and Runted Adult Mice by Retrobulbar Sinus Injection

Published on: May 17, 2024

Area of Science:

Zoology
Ethology
Pharmacology

Background:

Human medicine is well-studied, but animal self-medication is an emerging field.
Medication behaviors are observed in a wide array of animal species globally.
Natural substances form the basis of animal-derived medicines.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the prevalence and diversity of medication behaviors in non-human animals.
To identify the natural sources and targets of animal medications.
To understand the adaptive significance of self-medication in various species.

Main Methods:

Observational studies across diverse taxa (insects, mammals, birds, etc.).
Analysis of natural substances used by animals for therapeutic purposes.
Behavioral assays to determine the effects of natural compounds on health and well-being.

Main Results:

Widespread evidence of medication behaviors documented in species from ants to apes.
Animals utilize a diverse range of natural medicines, including plant-derived chemicals, other animals, and minerals like clay.
Observed targets include protection against parasites/pathogens, inflammation reduction, stress alleviation, and reproductive enhancement.

Conclusions:

Self-medication is a common and evolutionarily significant behavior in the animal kingdom.
Animals possess sophisticated strategies for selecting and using natural medicines to maintain health.
Further research into animal self-medication can offer novel insights into natural product pharmacology and veterinary medicine.