We discuss the choice of Drosophila as a model system, various genetic toolkits available in the fly, and attempts to use Drosophila in developing human disease model and drug discovery.
One species of Drosophila in particular, Drosophila melanogaster, has been heavily used in research in genetics and is a common model organism in developmental biology. The terms "fruit fly" and " Drosophila " are often used synonymously with D. melanogaster in modern biological literature.
Drosophila melanogaster, known colloquially as the fruit fly, remains one of the most commonly used model organisms for biomedical science. For more than one hundred years, the low cost, rapid generation time, and excellent genetic tools have made the fly indispensable for basic research.
Drosophila is a genus of two-winged flies commonly known as fruit flies that are used in evolutionary and developmental studies. D. melanogaster is an important model organism for the study of ...
It includes a description of Drosophila life history, Drosophila as an aging organism, types of studies that can be done, and a brief review of aging research on Drosophila.
Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most known and used organisms worldwide, not just to study general biology problems but above all for modeling complex human diseases.
Drosophila melanogaster: How and Why It Became a Model Organism - MDPI
Significance of Studies on Drosophila Development Drosophila and human development are homologous processes. They utilize closely related genes working in highly conserved regulatory networks. Unlike humans, Drosophila is subject to easy genetic manipulation.
The scientific name Drosophila actually means "lover of dew", implying that this species requires moist environments. The development of this species' offspring is extremely dependent on temperature, and the adults cannot withstand the colder temperatures of high elevations or high latitudes.