lickometer
LIK-oh-mee-ter
Definition
A laboratory device used in behavioral research to automatically measure and record the number of times an animal licks at a liquid source.
Etymology
The word is a hybrid construction combining the English verb 'lick' with the suffix '-meter,' which comes from the Greek 'metron' meaning 'measure,' used to denote a device designed for quantification.
In the news
The article mentions researchers using a computerized lickometer to observe how mice, which were genetically incapable of synthesizing dopamine, interacted with sucrose and water rewards.
When scientists disrupted dopamine in hungry rats, the animals still showed pleasure when sweet food was placed in their mouths — they just lost the drive to work for it, suggesting dopamine governs wanting more than enjoyment
Read the full article ↗Space Daily