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VinceSummers

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As a budding scientist, I raised fruit flies for research purposes. The unusual length of their saliva gland chromosome, coupled with their short life cycle make them a logical choice for genetic studies.

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Cell Survival When Deprived of Oxygen

Paul Arnold
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Sonal Panse
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Finn Orfano
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Guide to Fruit Flies: In Genetics and Research

Drosophila polytene chromosomes The Mediterranean fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, possesses an immense salivary gland chromosome. The chromosome's enhanced visibility, coupled with an egg-to-adult lifecycle of only one week, makes genetics and other scientific research using Drosophila very attractive. In addition, culture of the fly requires little space and little equipment. Finally, the complete genome was identified during the Twentieth Century. Scientists are no longer only interested in studying DNA's role in hereditary. In addition to it, a new discipline not involving DNA—epigenetics—has been developed. Here, too, the tiny fly is demonstrating its value. Enjoy topical pieces written by your Bright Hub contributors.

Polytene Chromsomes of Drosophila Melanogaster: Wikimedia Commons - courtesy J. Robert Vallunen

Cell Survival When Deprived of Oxygen

Scientists have uncovered a critical genetic switch that helps cells to survive when they are deprived of oxygen. Although the work was carried out in fruit flies there could be an...

How a Longevity Gene Could Increase Lifespan

No one is going to live forever, and there's nothing we can do about it. Every living thing has a sell-by date. However, it may be possible to increase our time on this planet, or at least make our...

Epigenetics: It's not all about DNA

The idea that DNA is the only carrier of heritable information might be starting to look a little old hat. According to epigenetic theory, traits that have been acquired by non-genetic means during an...

Animal Experimentation: Uses of Animals in Research

Third in a series on animal experimentation, this article looks at some of the ways in which animals are used in medical research....

Use Direct Composting When You Can't Have a Compost Pile

If you want to compost your organic waste, but don't have room for, or aren't allowed to have a compost pile, direct composting is the way to go....

Homemade Recipes to Get Rid of Gnats

If you are one of the many homeowners who suffer from persistent problem of gnats here are easy to apply homemade remedies to get rid of gnats....

Famous Scientists in Genetics Research - Theodosius Dobzhansky

Theodosius Dobzhansky is known for his work on the population genetics of fruit flies. He studied the evolution of different fruit fly species and demonstrated the role that genetics...

How a Longevity Gene Could Increase Lifespan

No one is going to live forever, and there's nothing we can do about it. Every living thing has a sell-by date. However, it may be possible to increase our time on this planet,...