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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.]
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 45 to 60 minutes
- $5 - $10 per group of students
- Ages 14 - adult
- Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
- English
Quick Guide
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
Subjects
-
Life Sciences
-
Diversity of Life
- Animals
-
Heredity and Genetics
- DNA Structure and Function
-
Diversity of Life
-
The Nature of Science
-
The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
-
The Scientific Process
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:
- Fleming, Susan ; Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center, Cell Lab; Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center, Science Museum of Minnesota
Rights:
- All rights reserved, Science Museum of Minnesota, 2010