Purpose

The Drosophila Lab was a perfect example for teaching genetics and the passing of traits.
Another objective of this lab was to determine the differences between fruit fly traits, or
mutations, how they are passed, and what is created when two different traits are mixed.
Specifically, our group observed the two traits White Eyed and Apterous, and their
crosses.

Procedure

The experiment is begun with six vials, each one-third full of a mixture of potato flakes
and solvent. (This mixture will be used in all vials housing flies.) Into these vials, the first
population of flies is introduced, all of the same mutation, say White Eyed. The vials are
then labeled with the date, mutation, and vial number; so as not to be confusing later on
in the experiment. Throughout the lab, a journal is kept, observing and documenting the
number of flies in a vial, and their mutation, on multiple days. Next, just like the first
population of flies, another set of six vials is made up for the second mutation, Apterous.
These fly populations are then allowed to grow for a number of days, long enough to
breed.

Now, the tedious process of crossing fly mutations begins. To complete this process
correctly, male flies of one mutation must be crossed with virgin female flies of the other
mutation, and visa versa. So, to sedate the flies for sexing and relocating into new vials,
Fly Nap is used. A separate empty vial is set aside for Fly Nap use; otherwise the Fly Nap
may damage the environments of the vials containing the mixture of potato flakes and
solvent. Males of the two traits are isolated first. Separately, the populations of White
Eyed and Apterous flies are sedated and sexed under a microscope. (Males can be
differentiated from females by the presence of black knobs on the forelegs, or "knees",
which females do not have. Also females generally have a larger abdomen.) The males
are then placed into new vials, about five males to a vial, to await the introduction of the
virgin females. There will be two new sets of six vials for the two mutations respectively,
each to house these males, and eventually produce F1 ( flight f1 ), or the first generation
of cross-mutation flies. These vials are then carefully labeled. Meanwhile, the females of
the sedated populations are no longer guaranteed virgins, and therefore no longer needed.
These females may be released or placed in the morgue. To isolate virgin females, the
original, now-empty vials are allowed to sit for up to twelve hours. During this time, pupa
attached to the side of the vials will have hatched into new flies. Because flies can only
be guaranteed virgins up to 12 hours after birth, these new flies are immediately sedated
and sexed, the females being placed in the vials of opposite- mutation males. (Ex. Virgin
White Eyed females are placed in the vials of waiting Apterous males, again, about 5
females per vial). Each time virgins are collected, all other flies are again released. This
process will most likely be completed over a series of days in order to obtain the desired
amount of both males and females to be the parents of the F1s.
The new vials are now carefully checked for the presence of F1 pupa on the vial walls.
Once there is a substantial amount of unhatched pupa in a vial, the parents of that vial are
released, so that the new flies hatching are pure F1s. These flies are then placed into new
corresponding sets of vials before they have a chance to mate. This, like the release of the
parent flies insures the later occurrence of pure F2 flies. Before the hatching of these F2s,
F1 data is observed and recorded in the lab journal, specifying the number, sex, and
mutation of the flies in each vial. Now, the same above process is repeated in the new F2
vials, which are checked daily for the presence of F2 pupa. Again, before F2's have
hatched, the F1 parents must be released. The F2 flies are allowed to breed for about 12
days; data is then collected and recorded.

Now that all the F1 and F2 data has been recorded, it is best compiled into a large flow
chart or "family tree". This way the data is easily studied, and predictions can be made
about the passing of different traits. Next, the data is verified through the chi square to
determine its accuracy and validity.
Conclusion

Part A- Explain advantages and disadvantages of working with flies.

Crossing fruit flies is advantageous to crossing other species for many reasons. Firstly,
they breed quickly, and don’t take long to metamorphose into adults. They also become
sexually mature within 12 hours of becoming adults. Secondly, they are small and easily
contained; they don’t need a lot of living space. Thirdly, they don’t require much care or
upkeep. With the medium in the vial, they get nourishment and living space in a small
space. One disadvantage to using fruit flies is, perversely, their size. The small test
subjects make it more difficult to handle them without hurting them, or to count them
accurately. Another disadvantage to using fruit flies is that they can easily escape through
the smallest of openings. They can fly away while you’re trying to transfer them from
vial to vial. They could also easily slip off of a slide, and you would never notice. A third
disadvantage is in their almost nonexistent mass. You could exhale too quickly and all of
the flies would scatter across the table, making it very difficult to count accurately.

Part B- Compare with other methods of data collection, such as breeding mice, cats, or
computer simulations.
As opposed to using cats or mice, most of the same advantages and disadvantages apply.
Either species would be easier to count. It would also be easier to sex them or distinguish
traits. However, the fruit flies take much less time to breed and mature. If we were doing
this assignment for cats, we would need a few years! Cats or mice would also be harder
to care for. There comes the problem of food, water, living space, and monitoring them to
eliminate any factors that may contaminate the data. Plus, we would need to bring home
cats or mice over winter break, because you can’t just throw them in a vial with some
potato flakes and expect them to survive! Comparing flies to a computer simulation, the
simulation does have some strong advantages. The simulation would eliminate the human
error, and also the possibility of escaped flies, incorrectly identified flies, or mold getting
into half of the vials and destroying the whole experiment. However, the real experiment
still has some advantages. The computer would make it too easy, reducing the experiment
to writing down data. It would eliminate the chance involved and wouldn’t give the
hands-on experience of handling the flies for ourselves. The simulation also wouldn’t be
quite as in-depth as the experiment, and would be almost boring in its simplicity. What
would the experiment be without the mess-ups, fly-killing molds, and data flying loose
around the classroom?

Part C- State your hypothesis explaining how the traits are inherited.
The White-eyed trait in flies is a recessive trait, and is also sex-linked. The Apterous trait
is also recessive, though not sex-linked.

Part D- Explain how your hypothesis is based on your data

Both White-eyed and Apterous flies are recessive, as can be shown in our F1 data. The
White-eyed and Apterous are both uncommon in that generation, but more common in
F2. The few that do show up are most likely due to a mistake in sexing, where a male was
mistakenly identified as a female, and mated with virgin females before dying, to produce
White-eyed and Apterous flies where they shouldn’t appear. Also, the White-eyed trait is
sex-linked, as can also be seen in the F1 data. There are almost no White-eyed females in
the F1 generation. Again, the few that are present can be accounted for with human error.
When we were napping or releasing flies, we could have missed a White-eyed female and
it went into an F1 vial.