Recombination In Drosophila Melanogaster

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Past research has shown increases in the recombination rates due to environmental stressors including age, food availability, behavioral stresses, chemicals and most importantly temperature. This study looks at the effects of an increase in incubation temperature on recombination rates in Drosophila melanogaster. A wildtype parent for three genes (al+ dp+ and b+) was crossed with a recessive parent (al dp b). These genes included presence of aristala, wing type and body color, all found on the second chromosome. The parents were mated and the organisms were divided into two different vials each placed in a different temperature; one in 25°C and the other in 30°C. The offspring were counted based on their phenotype for the three studied traits. It was predicted that there would be an increase …show more content…

The results showed that there was a significant increase in recombination rates between the two traits al and b. This conclusion is supported by past research, which shows that the further away the traits are from each other, the more likely it will be that a crossover occurs between them. Research also showed that any gene near the centromere of the chromosome would more than likely be crossed over. This is the case for the gene for black body (b), which is located near the centromere. Future research may look at the recombination rates among the human genome when exposed to different environmental stressors. Thomas Hunt Morgan, Calvin Bridges and their colleagues have been recognized for their work in discovering recombination frequencies, the chance of a crossover occurring between sister chromatids, and identifying and mapping the location of genes for each chromosome. Their work began in the

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