Transfer and acquisition of animals for experiment MCQs With Answer

Transfer and acquisition of animals for experiment MCQs With Answer

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Introduction

Understanding the transfer and acquisition of animals for experiment is essential for B.Pharm students involved in preclinical research. This topic covers animal procurement, accredited suppliers, transport conditions, quarantine and acclimatization, health screening, documentation, Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) approvals, and welfare-compliant handling. Students must know regulatory frameworks such as CPCSEA, biosecurity measures, sentinel monitoring, permanent identification (e.g., microchipping), and cage labeling to ensure reproducibility and ethical compliance. Practical SOPs for receiving, health certification, and record-keeping reduce disease risk and protect both animals and research integrity. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What does “acquisition of animals” most commonly refer to in a research context?

  • Procurement of animals from registered breeders or suppliers with documentation
  • Random capture of animals from the wild without permits
  • Breeding animals in an unauthorized facility
  • Purchasing animals without health checks to save time

Correct Answer: Procurement of animals from registered breeders or suppliers with documentation

Q2. What is the full form of CPCSEA in the Indian regulatory framework?

  • Central Panel for Control and Supervision of Experimental Animals
  • Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals
  • Council for the Protection and Care of Scientific Experimental Animals
  • Current Protocols for Clinical Studies and Animal Experiments

Correct Answer: Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals

Q3. What is the commonly recommended minimum acclimatization period for laboratory rodents after transfer to a new facility?

  • 24 hours
  • 72 hours
  • Minimum 7 days
  • 30 days

Correct Answer: Minimum 7 days

Q4. Which documents are essential to verify at the time of animal arrival?

  • Health certificate and vendor documentation specifying species, strain, age and vaccination status
  • Only the purchase invoice
  • Transport driver’s ID and vehicle registration only
  • Lab notebook entries from the supplier

Correct Answer: Health certificate and vendor documentation specifying species, strain, age and vaccination status

Q5. Which transport temperature range is generally appropriate for laboratory mice to reduce stress?

  • -5 to 5°C
  • 10–15°C
  • 18–26°C
  • 30–35°C

Correct Answer: 18–26°C

Q6. What does IAEC stand for?

  • International Animal Experiment Council
  • Institutional Animal Ethics Committee
  • Internal Animal Examination Committee
  • Institute for Animal Experimental Care

Correct Answer: Institutional Animal Ethics Committee

Q7. What is the primary purpose of using sentinel animals in a facility?

  • To breed new genetic lines quickly
  • To detect and monitor pathogens in the colony
  • To increase overall animal density for cost efficiency
  • To act as experimental controls for drug dosing

Correct Answer: To detect and monitor pathogens in the colony

Q8. Which method provides a permanent and reliable identification for individual laboratory animals?

  • Temporary fur dye
  • Paper cage labels only
  • Microchipping
  • Recording eye color

Correct Answer: Microchipping

Q9. Which practice best reduces stress during transfer of animals between facilities?

  • Exposure to loud noises to desensitize them
  • Providing familiar bedding, gentle handling and stable temperature
  • Withholding water for 12 hours before transfer
  • Random grouping with unfamiliar cage mates immediately

Correct Answer: Providing familiar bedding, gentle handling and stable temperature

Q10. What is the main objective of quarantine when acquiring animals?

  • To save space in the animal facility
  • To observe and test animals for infectious diseases before integration
  • To immediately begin experimental procedures
  • To train animals for handling

Correct Answer: To observe and test animals for infectious diseases before integration

Q11. How does quarantine differ from acclimatization?

  • Quarantine is isolation for health monitoring; acclimatization is physiological adaptation to the facility
  • They are the same and used interchangeably
  • Acclimatization always requires separate housing while quarantine does not
  • Quarantine focuses on behavioral training while acclimatization checks paperwork

Correct Answer: Quarantine is isolation for health monitoring; acclimatization is physiological adaptation to the facility

Q12. Which source is considered best practice when acquiring animals for regulated experiments?

  • Accredited commercial breeder with health monitoring programs
  • Purchasing from a pet shop
  • Collecting from local farms without permits
  • Accepting unverified donations from private individuals

Correct Answer: Accredited commercial breeder with health monitoring programs

Q13. What information is typically included in a fitness or health certificate for transported animals?

  • Species, age, health status, vaccinations and recent treatments
  • Only the seller’s name and price
  • Experimental protocols planned in the receiving lab
  • List of future publications using the animals

Correct Answer: Species, age, health status, vaccinations and recent treatments

Q14. Which items should be clearly displayed on a housing cage label after acquisition?

  • Species/strain, sex, animal ID, date of arrival, study name or code
  • Only the principal investigator’s phone number
  • Vendor promotional slogans
  • Feeding schedule written in detail on every cage

Correct Answer: Species/strain, sex, animal ID, date of arrival, study name or code

Q15. Which practice would NOT be part of an SOP for transfer and acquisition?

  • Verification of vendor accreditation and health records
  • Immediate integration into the main colony without quarantine
  • Documentation of origin, strain and health status
  • Physical inspection and isolation if clinical signs are present

Correct Answer: Immediate integration into the main colony without quarantine

Q16. What monitoring is recommended during transport to ensure animal welfare?

  • Continuous monitoring of temperature, ventilation and duration
  • Checking only the transport start time
  • Monitoring only once at the destination
  • No monitoring is necessary for short trips

Correct Answer: Continuous monitoring of temperature, ventilation and duration

Q17. If animals are wild-caught, what additional requirement is typically necessary?

  • No additional requirements beyond a purchase order
  • Special permits, health screening and pathogen risk assessment
  • Immediate release into the facility colony
  • Only labeling as wild origin without testing

Correct Answer: Special permits, health screening and pathogen risk assessment

Q18. What should be the immediate action on receipt of animals showing clinical illness?

  • Integrate them into the study to save replacement costs
  • Segregate, notify veterinary staff and document findings
  • Ignore and continue routine husbandry
  • Return them to the supplier without examination

Correct Answer: Segregate, notify veterinary staff and document findings

Q19. Who must approve acquisition of animals for experimental use at an institution?

  • The janitorial staff supervisor
  • Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC)
  • The shipping company
  • Only the purchasing department, without ethics input

Correct Answer: Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC)

Q20. What records should be maintained after acquiring animals?

  • Origin, strain, vendor, date of arrival, health status and disposition
  • Only the vendor invoice number
  • The PI’s personal notes kept privately
  • No records are required once animals are housed

Correct Answer: Origin, strain, vendor, date of arrival, health status and disposition

Q21. When receiving animals from another laboratory, which step is essential to prevent disease spread?

  • Immediate mixing with resident animals to assess compatibility
  • Quarantine and thorough health screening before integration
  • Discarding all vendor paperwork
  • Feeding the animals a novel diet immediately

Correct Answer: Quarantine and thorough health screening before integration

Q22. Which measure is most appropriate to reduce infectious risk during acquisition?

  • Administering broad-spectrum antibiotics to all incoming animals routinely
  • Health screening, vendor certification and quarantine
  • Relying solely on vendor reputation without testing
  • Immediate co-housing with sentinel animals

Correct Answer: Health screening, vendor certification and quarantine

Q23. What are required features of transport containers for laboratory animals?

  • Leak-proof, well-ventilated, escape-proof and labeled containers
  • Opaque containers with no ventilation
  • Containers with open tops for airflow
  • Containers that also serve as permanent housing

Correct Answer: Leak-proof, well-ventilated, escape-proof and labeled containers

Q24. For international or transboundary transfer of animals, which documentation is essential?

  • Customs permits, health certificates and import/export clearances
  • Only a handwritten note from the sender
  • Receipt of payment alone
  • No documentation if declared for research

Correct Answer: Customs permits, health certificates and import/export clearances

Q25. Why is genetic background documentation important when acquiring animals?

  • It ensures reproducibility and clarifies strain-specific responses
  • It is only useful for diet planning
  • Genetic background has no impact on experiments
  • It replaces the need for health screening

Correct Answer: It ensures reproducibility and clarifies strain-specific responses

Q26. What is a principal investigator’s (PI) responsibility during animal acquisition?

  • Ensuring approvals, welfare compliance and adequate housing and budget
  • Only signing the purchase order without oversight
  • Leaving all decisions to animal handlers without consultation
  • Outsourcing welfare oversight to an external vendor permanently

Correct Answer: Ensuring approvals, welfare compliance and adequate housing and budget

Q27. Which guideline focuses on reporting of animal research rather than acquisition procedures?

  • CPCSEA transport code
  • ARRIVE guidelines
  • National vehicle safety standards
  • ISO cage manufacturing standard

Correct Answer: ARRIVE guidelines

Q28. When acquiring genetically modified animals, what additional clearance is usually required?

  • No additional clearance beyond purchase order
  • Biosafety committee or institutional biosafety approval
  • Only the vendor’s verbal assurance
  • Authorization by the animal caretaker only

Correct Answer: Biosafety committee or institutional biosafety approval

Q29. Which methods are commonly used for microbiological monitoring during quarantine?

  • Sentinel serology, culture and PCR surveillance
  • Visual inspection only
  • Counting food consumption as the sole metric
  • Measuring cage weight daily only

Correct Answer: Sentinel serology, culture and PCR surveillance

Q30. If animals acquired are not suitable for the planned experiment, what is the appropriate course?

  • Use them anyway to avoid cost
  • Follow institutional SOPs for rehoming, humane euthanasia or return with IAEC and veterinary approval
  • Release them into the nearest outdoor area
  • Sell them without informing IAEC

Correct Answer: Follow institutional SOPs for rehoming, humane euthanasia or return with IAEC and veterinary approval

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