Fruit Fly Research Paper

The Drosophila, also known as the fruit fly, are famous for being ideal in the area of genetic research. The fruit fly has a fairly short life cycle beginning with the female fruit fly laying eggs (typically on fermenting fruit). In only a single day, the fertilized eggs turn into tiny, white, wormlike larva which burrow into the fruit and eat for 4-5 days. The larva then crawls to a dry spot and becomes encased in a pupa where it becomes an adult within another 4-5 days. In just 8-12 short hours after appearing from the pupa case, the female fruit fly can mate and stores enough sperm to fertilize 500 eggs. Their short life cycle is only one of the reasons that they are useful in genetic research. The female lays many eggs that

The basis of genetics were established by Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk in the mid to late 1800’s. Through the observations from cross-pollinating pea plants, Mendel was able to discover the basic laws of inheritance. Years later genetics would be studied on a multitude of organisms, some more than others. Drosophila melanogaster or the common fruit fly has been studied in depth for its great advantages, such as size, reproduction rate, ease of care and inexpensive room and board.

Part A: To construct a mapping cross of linked genes, it is important that the genotypes of

The mapping of human genes has allowed for certain genetic disorders to be identified according to the genes that it is affecting. This has created a map that other individuals' genes can be compared to in order to determine any mistakes or any alterations that may lead to the development of a disease. Any changes in epigenetic

This discovery was made when Morgan was working at Columbia and one day, while observing a male fruit fly, he noticed that instead having bright red eyes as any normal Drosophila melanogaster would, this particular insect had white eyes. Morgan questioned the cause of the color of that fly to be different and wondered how this trait was acquired. In order to answer his questions, Morgan proceeded to do simple breeding analyses with the white-eye fruit fly. This experiment began with a test cross between the white-eyed fly with normal red-eyed females. The results in the first generation was all red eyes. This was shown through the use of Punnett squares. However Morgan didn’t stop there, he took the male and females from the first generation and test crossed them again. This time, the second generation resulted with some flies with the white-eyed trait along with some red-eyed trait. Morgan noticed that the only white-eyed trait however occurred only in the male fruit flies. This led to his hypothesis of sex-limited, also known as sex-linked. However, upon further experimentations, the next generations of crossing the original male with some first generation red-eyed females resulted with both red-eyed and white-eyed males and females, therefore the trait was concluded to be sex-related and the trait of the coloured-eyed gene was found to be on the X-chromosome. Thus the discovery of how genes are transmitted through chromosomes. In 1933, Thomas Morgan

Genes can either be sex-linked or autosomal. If a gene appears mostly in one sex chances are the gene is sex-linked and if it appears frequently in both sexes it is most likely autosomal. Using Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly, we will determine whether the gene is sex-linked or autosomal. Drosophila melanogasters have a relatively short life span and are an excellent organism for genetic studies because it has simple food requirements, occupies little space, is hardy, completes its life cycle in about 12 days at room temperature, produces large numbers of offspring, can be immobilized readily for examination and

Fruit Fly experiment was conducted by using different techniques. One of the main things was to examine the fruit flies and identify the difference between females and males, identify their mutation if they were wild type, white eye, vestigial or white and vestigial combined together. These Fruit flies were kept in the incubator at 25°C for about 6 days. The main goal for this experiment was to observe the principles of Mendelian genetics.

Introduction For centuries, researchers have used Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, to study genetics. The benefits of using the fruit fly includes: its relatively short generation time, its large amount of available offspring for data, it is easy to store and handle in the laboratory and it is easily and cheaply obtained. Cross-breeding of four types of fruit flies were used in this experiment including: wild type males with normal wings vs. vestigial wing females, wild type males with red eyes vs. white eyed females, wild type male with red eyes vs. sepia eyed females, and wild type males vs. wild type females. In basic mendelian genetics, the terms dominant, recessive and sex-linked are used to describe the different types

Introduction: Drosophila is the name given to a genus of small flies within the family, Drosophilidae. They are commonly referred to as fruit flies or pomace flies. They have historically been called vinegar or wine flies due to the fact that they commonly gather around rotting fruit. The fruit fly is sometimes mistaken for the Tephritidae family of flies which is closely related and is even sometimes referred to as the true fruit fly however; tephritids tend to only feed on unripe fruit, and have been regarded as destructive agricultural pests. For instance, the Mediterranean fruit fly has devastated the agricultural economy sector of several Mediterranean countries millions of dollars in ruined crops.

The markers showing linkage are markers B, C, and D since they are more prevalent and highly associated with the mutant allele.

19) Collect 5 males and 5 females of the F₁ generation and place them in the vial to become parents of the F₂ and seal it with another plug.

In this experiment, there are many techniques to amplify and clone a gene from the fruit fly, Drosophila. The gene will be a homolog of a human gene that is important for this research. Ten homogenize files and KAc/LiCl working solution was used for the genomic DNA extraction. The buffer that was used contained ddH2O, Tris/Hcl pH7.6, EDTA, NaCl, and SDS. Cells are broken down so that the solution can release DNA.

The Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal organism most often used to study genes and mutations. The genome of the D. melanogaster, is similar to that of humans, making it the very beneficial to study. Through the studies done on the fruit fly, we are able to get a better understanding as to the processes of modern issues such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, in order to study and develop cures. Not only is the D. melanogaster an ideal organism based on its genetic similarities to human genetics,

Introduction Drosphila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly, is an excellent organism for genetics studies because it has simple food requirements, occupies little space, is robust, completes its life cycle in about 12 days at room temperature, produces large numbers of offspring, can be immobilized readily for examination and sorting, and has many types of hereditary variations that can be observed with low-power magnification. The fruit fly has a small number of chromosomes (4 pairs), which are easily located in the large salivary gland cells. As mentioned before, the fruit fly life cycle is complete in about 12 days. First, a fertilized adult female must lay the egg, which leads to the first stage of the fruit fly life cycle, the egg stage.

Another man who contributed greatly to the study of genetics, was an American biologist by the name of Thomas Hunt Morgan. He studied the ways that characteristics were passed from one generation of fruit flies to the next. He learned that the genes in fruit flies behaved in the same way as the genes in pea plants. He also noticed that certain genes were inherited together more often than random chance should allow.