ALAT Unit 1- Introduction to Laboratory
Animal Care UPDATED Exam Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Benefits of laboratory animal research - CORRECT ANSWER - understand how out
bodies work; improve treatments, medical technologies, and medications; control and cure
diseases; improved health and welfare of animals
Three levels of AALAS Technician Certification - CORRECT ANSWER - Assistant
Laboratory Animal Techician (ALAT); Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT); Laboratory
Animal Technologist (LATG)
Organization founded in 1950 by Dr. Nathan Brewer and other veterinarians - CORRECT
ANSWER - Animal Care Panel (ACP)
The ACP was renamed this in 1967 - CORRECT ANSWER - American Association for
Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
Voluntary program which documents your ongoing professional development as an AALAS-
certified technician, where you are automatically registered after obtaining your ALAT
certification - CORRECT ANSWER - The Technician Certification Registry (the
"Registry")
Two journals published by AALAS - CORRECT ANSWER - Comparative Medicine;
Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (JAALAS)
The use of animals in research is - CORRECT ANSWER - a privilege
Two ways groups opposed to animal research express their opinions - CORRECT
ANSWER - lead protest demonstrations; distribute pamphlets
,Duties and responsibilities of an ALAT - CORRECT ANSWER - routine husbandry tasks
(cleaning, feeding, watering, bed changes); perform sanitation and sterilization processes;
observe and report changes in animal environment (temperature, air exchange rate, light-dark
cycle, humidity); handle, restrain, and sex common laboratory animals; use various methods of
animal identification; engage in accurate recordkeeping; recognize and notate common signs of
illness (changes in eating habits, stool/urine, behavior); provide routine treatments (medications,
grooming)
RALAT - CORRECT ANSWER - Registered Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician
Principal Investigator (PI) - CORRECT ANSWER - plans and coordinates all phases of
the research work and prepares the protocol
Research Technician - CORRECT ANSWER - performs research tasks required by the
protocol and analyzes the data
Laboratory Animal Veterinarian - CORRECT ANSWER - coordinates animal care and
advises investigators on proper animal use
Laboratory Animal Technician - CORRECT ANSWER - performs many animal care
functions and monitors environmental variables
Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) - CORRECT ANSWER -
primary source of the standards and guidelines for laboratory animal care and use in the United
States
Animal Use Protocols - CORRECT ANSWER - document written by the Principal
Investigator and approved by the IACUC, that describes and justifies the use of animals for a
project
PHS Policy - CORRECT ANSWER - federal mandate that covers all live vertebrates used
or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, biological testing, or for
related purposes
, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) - CORRECT ANSWER - regulations developed by the
Food & Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Act to validate and document the
processes of safety testing
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) - CORRECT ANSWER - written instructions
approved by management and used to perform a routine activity
According to the AWA, an IACUC must have these three members - CORRECT
ANSWER - veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine experience; the Chair; a non-
affiliated member
Components of an animal care and use program for which the Guide defines standards -
CORRECT ANSWER - personnel qualifications and training; occupational health and
safety; veterinary care; animal environment (housing, management); animal procurement and
transportation; surgical and post-surgical care; alleviation of pain and distress; euthanasia;
physical plant design and construction
Animals covered by the AWA - CORRECT ANSWER - guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters,
ferrets, wild mice, horses, gerbils, goats, and sheep; warm-blooded animals (living or dead)
minus purpose-bred birds, rats, and mice and agricultural animals used for food and fiber
Requirements of the AWA/AWR - CORRECT ANSWER - register with the USDA;
appoint an IACUC; provide training for all animal users; maintain individual animal records;
provide adequate housing for each species and meet requirements for housing dimensions and
environmental controls; meet or exceed the sanitization standards for the cages and the facility;
provide adequate veterinary care, provide dogs with the opportunity to exercise, provide
psychological enrichment to nonhuman primates, provide for the relief of animal pain and
distress; consider alternatives to experiments likely to cause pain and distress, perform no more
than one major surgery on an animal unless scientifically justified or medically necessary;
submit an annual report that provides the number of covered species research animals uses and
the "pain category" under which they were used
Example of which of the 3Rs
a. Using the proper analgesics during post-operative recovery
Animal Care UPDATED Exam Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Benefits of laboratory animal research - CORRECT ANSWER - understand how out
bodies work; improve treatments, medical technologies, and medications; control and cure
diseases; improved health and welfare of animals
Three levels of AALAS Technician Certification - CORRECT ANSWER - Assistant
Laboratory Animal Techician (ALAT); Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT); Laboratory
Animal Technologist (LATG)
Organization founded in 1950 by Dr. Nathan Brewer and other veterinarians - CORRECT
ANSWER - Animal Care Panel (ACP)
The ACP was renamed this in 1967 - CORRECT ANSWER - American Association for
Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
Voluntary program which documents your ongoing professional development as an AALAS-
certified technician, where you are automatically registered after obtaining your ALAT
certification - CORRECT ANSWER - The Technician Certification Registry (the
"Registry")
Two journals published by AALAS - CORRECT ANSWER - Comparative Medicine;
Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (JAALAS)
The use of animals in research is - CORRECT ANSWER - a privilege
Two ways groups opposed to animal research express their opinions - CORRECT
ANSWER - lead protest demonstrations; distribute pamphlets
,Duties and responsibilities of an ALAT - CORRECT ANSWER - routine husbandry tasks
(cleaning, feeding, watering, bed changes); perform sanitation and sterilization processes;
observe and report changes in animal environment (temperature, air exchange rate, light-dark
cycle, humidity); handle, restrain, and sex common laboratory animals; use various methods of
animal identification; engage in accurate recordkeeping; recognize and notate common signs of
illness (changes in eating habits, stool/urine, behavior); provide routine treatments (medications,
grooming)
RALAT - CORRECT ANSWER - Registered Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician
Principal Investigator (PI) - CORRECT ANSWER - plans and coordinates all phases of
the research work and prepares the protocol
Research Technician - CORRECT ANSWER - performs research tasks required by the
protocol and analyzes the data
Laboratory Animal Veterinarian - CORRECT ANSWER - coordinates animal care and
advises investigators on proper animal use
Laboratory Animal Technician - CORRECT ANSWER - performs many animal care
functions and monitors environmental variables
Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) - CORRECT ANSWER -
primary source of the standards and guidelines for laboratory animal care and use in the United
States
Animal Use Protocols - CORRECT ANSWER - document written by the Principal
Investigator and approved by the IACUC, that describes and justifies the use of animals for a
project
PHS Policy - CORRECT ANSWER - federal mandate that covers all live vertebrates used
or intended for use in research, research training, experimentation, biological testing, or for
related purposes
, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) - CORRECT ANSWER - regulations developed by the
Food & Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Act to validate and document the
processes of safety testing
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) - CORRECT ANSWER - written instructions
approved by management and used to perform a routine activity
According to the AWA, an IACUC must have these three members - CORRECT
ANSWER - veterinarian with laboratory animal medicine experience; the Chair; a non-
affiliated member
Components of an animal care and use program for which the Guide defines standards -
CORRECT ANSWER - personnel qualifications and training; occupational health and
safety; veterinary care; animal environment (housing, management); animal procurement and
transportation; surgical and post-surgical care; alleviation of pain and distress; euthanasia;
physical plant design and construction
Animals covered by the AWA - CORRECT ANSWER - guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters,
ferrets, wild mice, horses, gerbils, goats, and sheep; warm-blooded animals (living or dead)
minus purpose-bred birds, rats, and mice and agricultural animals used for food and fiber
Requirements of the AWA/AWR - CORRECT ANSWER - register with the USDA;
appoint an IACUC; provide training for all animal users; maintain individual animal records;
provide adequate housing for each species and meet requirements for housing dimensions and
environmental controls; meet or exceed the sanitization standards for the cages and the facility;
provide adequate veterinary care, provide dogs with the opportunity to exercise, provide
psychological enrichment to nonhuman primates, provide for the relief of animal pain and
distress; consider alternatives to experiments likely to cause pain and distress, perform no more
than one major surgery on an animal unless scientifically justified or medically necessary;
submit an annual report that provides the number of covered species research animals uses and
the "pain category" under which they were used
Example of which of the 3Rs
a. Using the proper analgesics during post-operative recovery
