The phrase "laboratory rats" refers to rats that are used in scientific experiments and studies conducted in a laboratory. They are important because scientists use them to learn more about human health and biology. Full definition
At one point in the lecture, the speaker told a story about the levels of aggression he had witnessed in laboratory rats placed in stressful situations. (discovermagazine.com)
The ability to make this conversion varies widely not only between species but even between strains of laboratory rats, and has not been determined in humans. (ournourishingroots.com)
In the 1930s researchers discovered that laboratory rats fed a limited diet live about 40 % longer than normal and are resistant to many chronic illnesses typical of aging. (sciencemag.org)