AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The phrase ‘like a rat in a maze’ is used to describe a situation where a person is trapped in an impossible dilemma with many twists and turns, or when a character feels like he or she is the subject of an experiment, observed and manipulated by an unseen meddler.

Detailed explanation-2: -In behavioral science, a T-maze (or the variant Y-maze) is a simple forked passage used in animal cognition experiments. It is shaped like the letter T (or Y), providing the subject, typically a rodent, with a straightforward choice.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Y-maze can be used to assess short term memory in mice. Spontaneous alternation, a measure of spatial working memory, can be assessed by allowing mice to explore all three arms of the maze and is driven by an innate curiosity of rodents to explore previously unvisited areas.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Morris water maze is widely used to study spatial memory and learning. Animals are placed in a pool of water that is colored opaque with powdered non-fat milk or non-toxic tempera paint, where they must swim to a hidden escape platform.