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Virtual Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit Fly) Lab- Lab Biology

Getting Started:

  • Log onto your computer.
  • Click on internet explorer.

Type

  • On the Students section, under new users, click Create New Account
  • Enter your class code: Lab biology- 3B: 8327277, Lab biology 2A- 8328413
  • Enter your first name and last name. You must use your real name or you will not get any credit for this lab.
  • Create a username and a password. These must be appropriate. Write it here______
  • Press submit
  • Log in under the registered users, using your class code, username, and password. Press login.

The Lab Bench:

1. Read the text under The Lab Bench: Your Task:

  • Once you read this click on the computer to start ordering your flies.

2. Click on Order Flies- Choose a wild type female fly and press the green circle with a shopping cart to add these flies to your cart. Then choose a male wild type fly and add it to your cart.

  • All flies that you order are homozygous
  • Wild type (+)(the normal phenotype for a fruit fly). Homozygous wild type genotype is (+ +)

3. Click on the shopping cart button to view your contents. Press check out to order your flies.

  • When your pink confirmation screen pops up make sure the check mark is checked to add your flies to your notebook. This will automatically put these flies in your notebook.

You Must Go to Your Notebook and Save Your Notebook To the Server! Only your notebook will be saved, not your flies each time. Each time you go to the site you must reorder your flies.

4. Click on the box to unpack your flies. Then click on the mating jar to place it in the incubator to start.

  • The mating jar will have a pink box that will pop up that tells you the content of the jar.

5. The flies should then mate and produce offspring. Click on the incubator and then the mating jar to observe your flies. It should now say Cross #1.

6. A microscope view of flies should come up on the screen. Press Sort Flies to sort the flies by phenotype.

  • Note the number of male and female flies seen in the top right corner. Is this number of flies adequate for a statistically viable experiment, why?

7. Click on the pile with the male flies. How many male wildtype flies do you have?

  • Note the two dark marks on the first pair of legs closest to the head. These are the sex combs these are the most noticeable traits used to differentiate males and females.

8. Click Add to Notebook to record this data in your notebook. Then press zoom out.

9. Click on the pile of female wildtype flies. How many female wildtype flies do you have?

  • What are some differences in physical appearance between male and female flies?

10. Click Add to notebook to record this phenotype.

11. Press the button use in mating to use these female wildtype flies.

12. Press zoom out and then press send data to computer.

13. Click yes to go to your computer now.

14. Click on Analyze Results. Is there any specific differences between males and females phenotypically and numeric wise? If not, press the Ignore Sex button. Click Add to Notebook. Press Return to Menu. Click on Return to Lab.

15. Click on your computer to order new flies.

16. Click male. Choose a trait from the list below.

17. Click add to cart: View shopping cart and check out. Again, add these flies to your notebook. Click on the box to unpack the flies you ordered and add them to the mating jar. Check your results. These should be Cross #2. Look at your results for both male and female. Add these to the computer and add these results to your notebook.

  • Go to the computer to analyze your data. Does the sex seem to matter?
  • Check the ignore sex button if it does not. Add to notebook.

Show your cross in the traditional Punnett square. Write what you crossed with what, phenotypes and genotypes. Record the offspring. Write a Key. Tell me Genotypes and Phenotypes of offspring: Percentages, fractions, ratios.

X Key:

Phenotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

Genotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

What does this tell you about the pattern of inheritance in these flies? How do you know?

18. Use both the male and female flies (F1) from this Cross #2 in a new mating. Mate these flies and observe the results. Make sure to keep on sending all the data to the computer and adding them to your notebook. Show your cross.

X Key:

Phenotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

Genotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

19. Go to the Computer and Analyze your Results. Determine if sex is important and add it to your notebook.

20. Press the garbage can to clean out your flies. This program can only hold 3 cross vials at a time.

21. Choose a new trait and create a heterozygous fly. Prove that this fly is heterozygous by performing a test cross. Diagram the two crosses needed. (the one needed to create your heterozygous fly and the cross to test its genotype)

1.

X Key:

Phenotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

Genotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

2.

X Key:

Phenotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

Genotypes: Fractions, Percentage, Ratio

22. Create a dihybrid cross. Choose a female fly with curved wings (c), and a male fly with an ebony body (e). If you ordered a curved winged fly,the phenotype for its eyes is wildtype its genotype would be (c)(c) (+body)(+body). The male fly, the phenotype would be wildtype wings and ebony body. Its genotype would be (+wings)(+wings)(e)(e). Cross your male and female flies.

Diagram your cross

X

Gametes: Gametes:

Phenotypes: Fractions and Ratio

23. Use both the male flies and female flies in new mating (crossing the F1xF1) to create your F2 generation.

Diagram your cross

X

Gametes: Gametes:

Phenotypes: Fractions and Ratio

24. Feel free to play around with the site and try out crazy combinations of flies!

Reflection: Write a two paragraph reflection: at least 5 sentences for each paragraph. For information on Drosophila melanogaster consult these websites:

Paragraph 1:

  • Why is the fruit fly used as an experimental model for studying patterns of inheritance?
  • Did doing this experiment provide you with an idea of how real life scientific experimentation is done?
  • If we performed this experiment with real flies in a lab, about how long do you think it would have taken to perform these experiments?

Paragraph 2:

  • What did you learn through this experimentation?
  • How did you apply your knowledge of genetics to these experiments

Rubric

Poor / Inadequate-Average / Average-Good / Outstanding
Completeness / The guided lab report is missing most questions and open ended questions are not or barely attempted / The guided lab report has some missing questions with minimal explanations / The guided lab report is mostly complete with adequate explanations / The guided lab report is complete with all questions completed with detailed explanations
Diagrams of Crosses / Crosses are not completed, or are minimal. Many elements are missing. / Crosses are missing some elements, crosses are not clear / Crosses are clearly written: parents genotypes and phenotypes are present, a key, a completed punnett square, the genotypes and phenotypes with associated percentages, fractions, and ratios / Crosses are clearly written: parents genotypes and phenotypes are present, a key, a completed punnett square, the genotypes and phenotypes with associated percentages, fractions, and ratios are correct
Virtual notebook / The notebook is incomplete. Many of the orders, crosses, and offspring is missing. / A record of few of the flies ordered are present. A record of few of the crosses are present. A record of few of the offspring is present. / A record of most of the flies ordered are present. A record of most of the crosses are present. A record of most of the offspring is present. / A record of all the flies ordered are present. A record of all crosses are present. A record of all offspring is present.
Reflection / Reflection is incomplete and answers some questions. Does not meet minimal length Reaches an low level of reflection, discusses procedural events, with no analysis / Reflection is mostly complete and answers most questions. Meets minimal length. Reaches an low level of reflection, discusses procedural events, with little analysis / Reflection is complete and answers all questions. Meets minimal length. Reaches an average level of reflection, discusses procedural events, with a discussion of application and low level analysis / Reflection is complete and answers all questions. Meets minimal length. Reaches a higher level of reflection, discussing application and a high level of analysis.

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Drosophila melanogasterFly Lab Notebook

Cross #1:

Ordered Flies:

Cross:

Offspring:

Cross #2: