Drosophila
One Amazing Fly!
Flies really are the coolest model organism to study!
There are a lot of reasons why Drosophila are exciting to study.
- Fruit flies are being used to study the genes that affect insulin levels.
- Fruit flies actually sleep! Scientists can use them to study genes that affect sleep.
- Scientists can use fruit flies to identify possible cancer drugs.
Small_Fly-pt1
Some more interesting facts about Drosophila
Drosophila melangoster Eye Color Examples
They are so colorful! The eye colors are truly beautiful to observe. When scientists are creating new mutants, sometimes the new mutant strain of flies can have a really unique eye color. Ms. Lau, a researcher, even found a bright hot pink-eyed fly once! Sadly, pinkie did not produce any offspring. Many of the colors are close to red and look similar on a poster, but remember, when scientists are examining them both under the microscope, they are quite distinct!
Fruit Fly Genome
The fruit fly genome is completely mapped! Female and male fruit flies have 4 pairs of chromosomes (1 from mom and one for dad) or 8 strings of DNA in each of their body cell nuclei. The different highlighted bands show different regions where genes are found on the chromosomes. When a fruit fly mates, 4 chromosomes are found in an egg cell and 4 chromosomes are found in the sperm cell.
White eye mutant
The white eye mutant strain was one of the first mutant strains of Drosophila melangoster to be raised in a lab.
White Gene, abbreviated w, as the first sex-linked mutation ever discovered in the fruit fly Drosophila melangoster. In 1910 Thomas Hun Morgan and Lilian Vaughan Morgan collected a single male white-eyed mutant from a population of Drosophila melangoster fruit flies, which usually have brick-colored eyes.
Drosophila Mutants
When fruit fly geneticists discover a new mutation in a new gene, they examine the phenotype or the effects of the mutation. Then, they name the gene based on what the fly with the mutated allele looks like. Here is a list of fun fruit fly gene names. Can you guess what the mutant fly looks like? See if you can match them below!
Mutant dies after only 2 days.
A. Kenny
B. Breathless
C. Jelly Belly
Mutant fly becomes paralyzed when the temperature drops.
A. Bag of marbles
B. Groucho
C. Out cold
Mutant fly has holes in its brain
A. Lush
B. Bag of marbles
C. Jelly belly
We spend one third of our lives asleep and yet the purpose of sleep remains unknown.
Fruit flies used to unlock mysteries of human diabetes
Fruit Fly Song
Thank you!
I got a lot of my information from Ms. Lau's blog --
http://www.scienceandmathwithmrslau.com/author/mrs-bethany-laugmail-com/
Email: emilykeeter@winnetka36.org
Website: https://www.schoology.com/home
Location: Carleton Washburne School, Hibbard Road, Winnetka, IL, United States
Phone: 8475013168
Twitter: @keeterscience