Giant Chromosomes: Fruit Fly DNA and You

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Many of the genetic sequences found in the fruit fly genome are similar to those found in humans. This activity allows learners to stain DNA from fruit fly salivary glands and examine the DNA in tightly packed chromosomes under a microscope. This procedure is not technically challenging, but a certain level of manual dexterity and patience are required to complete the experiment. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 14 - adult
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • larval culture of Drosophila virilis
  • petri dish
  • tweezers
  • 0.7% saline solution
  • dissecting microscope
  • glass slides
  • glass cover slips
  • chromosome stain (2% aceto-orcein)
  • plastic droppers
  • pencil
  • paper towels
  • light microscope
  • prepared chromosome slides
  • dissecting needles

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Diversity of Life
      • Animals
    • Heredity and Genetics
      • DNA Structure and Function
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Informal Categories

  • Animals

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Limited free access

By:

Rights:

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