Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is a species of fly (the taxonomic order Diptera) in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting with Charles W. Woodworth's proposal of the use of this species as a model organism, D. melanogaster continues to be widely used for biological research in genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. It is typically used because it is an animal species that is easy to care for, breeds quickly, and lays many eggs.

Description

D. melanogaster is a small, common fly found near unripe and rotted fruit. It has been in use for over a century to study genetics and behavior. It is typically yellow-brown in color, has red eyes, and is about 3 mm in length.

Genetics

D. melanogaster is a popular experimental animal because it is easily cultured en masse out of the wild, has a short generation time, and mutant animals are readily obtainable. In 1906, Thomas Hunt Morgan began his work on D. melanogaster and reported his first finding of a white-eyed mutant in 1910 to the academic community.

Use in research

D. melanogaster is widely used for biological research in studies of genetics, physiology, microbial pathogenesis, and life history evolution. It is also frequently used in studies of mutation, a topic widely studied in genetics and evolutionary biology.

See also

• Model organism
• Genetics
• Thomas Hunt Morgan

References

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