Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is a small fruit fly used extensively in genetics, developmental biology, and neuroscience. Its short generation time, compact genome, and tractable genetics make it valuable for laboratory research.

Model organism: A species studied to investigate biological processes that also occur in other organisms. This fly is a classic example of a species chosen for experimental study.
Homeotic gene: A gene that specifies the identity of body segments or structures during development. Mutations in fly homeotic genes can transform one body segment into another.
Thomas Hunt Morgan: An American geneticist whose Drosophila experiments established the chromosome theory of inheritance. His fly work connected inherited traits to genes carried on chromosomes.
Forward genetics: An approach that begins with an observable trait and identifies the genes responsible for it. Mutant screens in flies can reveal genes underlying a biological process.
Drosophila genetics: The study of inheritance and gene function using Drosophila species, especially D. melanogaster. Its breeding and genetic tools let researchers track mutations across generations.
Hox gene: A gene in a conserved family that helps specify positional identity along an animal body axis. Drosophila Hox genes established key principles of animal body-plan development.
Fly Room: The Columbia University laboratory where Morgan and his students studied Drosophila genetics. This laboratory produced foundational discoveries through generations of fly experiments.
CRISPR: A genome-editing technology that uses guide RNA and Cas proteins to target DNA sequences. CRISPR enables targeted gene changes in Drosophila for testing gene function.
Drosophila genome: The complete genetic material of Drosophila melanogaster, organized across four chromosome pairs. A compact, well-mapped genome supports precise studies of gene function.
Notch signaling pathway: A cell-signaling pathway in which membrane-bound ligands activate Notch receptors on neighboring cells. Fly studies revealed how this pathway controls cell fate and tissue patterning.

Linked from 29 pages