VITAL STAINING OF DNA AND RNA IN PARAMECIUM

Description

DNA and RNA are 2 types of nucleic acids that have different staining properties. DNA
is acidic
and stains acidic dyes, while RNA, along with proteins, stains basic dyes. The
2 stains used are
methyl green and pyronine. DNA stains blue or bluish-green with
methyl green, and RNA stains
pink with pyronine dyes.
the

DNA is present in the nucleus and stains blue or bluish-green, while RNA is present in
cytoplasm and stains pink.

Materials
Cultured paramecia
Cavity slides
Plain slides
Cover slips
Methyl green and pyronine stains 0.5%

Procedure
1. Pipette out a few paramecia onto a cavity slide.
2. Blot out excess water using filter paper.
3. Put 2 or 3 drops of methyl green pyronine stain and keep it for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the paramecia onto a clean slide. Put them under a cover slip in an
aqueous medium
and observe under the microscope.

Observation

DNA (nucleus) stain blue and RNA (cytoplasm) stain pink.

Life cycle of Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is a common fruit fly used as a test system and has
contributed to the
establishment of the basic principles of heredity. It is also called the
Cinderella of Genetics.
Drosophila melanogaster is a dipterous, holometabolous insect.
It has a characteristic larval stage preceded by the egg and succeeded by the pupalstage.

Egg
Egg is about 0.5 mm in length, ovoid in shape, and white. Extending from the anterior
dorsal surface, there is a pair of egg filaments. The terminal portion of these filaments are
flattened into spoonlike floats. This floats keep the egg from sinking into the semi-liquid
medium.

Larva
The larva hatches out from the egg. It is white, segmented, and wormlike. The head
is narrow
and has black mouth parts (jaw hooks). The larva undergoes 2 moults, so that
the larval phase
consists of 3 instars. After this stage, the larva crawls out of the
medium and finally attaches to
the inner drier surface of the bottle. This culminates in
pupation.

Pupa

body is

Soon after the formation of the pupal horn from the anterior spiracle, the larval
shortened and the skin becomes hardened and pigmented. The pupa is

considered a reorganization stage. During this process, most of the adult structures are
developed from the imaginal disc. A fully transformed adult
fly emerges out through the
anterior end of the pupal
case. At the times of eclosion, the fly is
greatly elongated
and light in color, with wings yet to be
unfolded. Immediately after this, the wings unfold
and the body gradually turns dark and brown.
After 6 hours of emergence, the adult fly
attains the ability to participate in reproduction.

Adult

The body is divided into head, thorax, and abdomen. The head has a pair of
compound eyes and a pair of antennae. The thorax is divided into 3 segments prothorax,
mesothorax, and
metathorax, each with a pair of legs. The mesothorax has a pair of
wings and the metathorax has
a pair of halters. The abdomen is segmented in 4 or 5
sections in males and 6 or 7 in females.
The abdominal tip in males is darkly pigmented.