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How Genes Build a Fly
Fruit fly embryo This composite image of a fruit fly embryo at a very early stage of development helps tell scientists how genes govern an animal’s body plan. Using a confocal microscope and three...
View ArticleWicked Wingbeat
Fruitfly muscles are triggered when they are lengthened by the opposing muscle, explaining why they can beat their wings 200 times a second. More »
View ArticleHappy Thanksgiving! We celebrate eating — and food.
Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrate eating -- and food. Hungry: Is that your "food clock" ringing? Why does a fruitfly need to smell? How does bitter taste to you? And could eating MSG make you fat? More »
View ArticleHow a fly detects a poison
Animals spend a lot of energy avoiding toxic chemicals in their food. A new type of gene that does this in fruit flies reinforces the importance of reproduction in shaping evolution. More »
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Holy horseradish! Ancient roots of pain
Recipe for pain Photo: Vince Panzano A hungry fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) extends its proboscis to feed on a droplet of sugar water. The proboscis contains sensors that detect irritating...
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Fruit Fly Brain
Fruit Fly Brain Researchers at the California Institute of Technology recently conducted a study looking into the brain activity of fruit flies when in flight. In this image, a fruit fly is placed in a...
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Food choice
Big losers take note: It’s all in the biochemistry Restaurant menu, illustrated fruit on top, menu items like bad bananas foster, rotten apple pie. Going to choose between cheesecake and lean beef?...
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A Story of the Bacterium and the Fly
Your cell = my home? Poke deep inside an insect cell, and you may be in for a shock. At least we were startled to learn that bacteria live inside many insects, including the fruit fly, one of the...
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Fruit fly study finds long-term impact of sleep deprivation
Fruit fly study finds long-term impact of sleep deprivation Fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Shutterstock Most of us know more about sleeping babies than snoozin’ fruitflies, but most young animals...
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Fruit Fly Flight
How a fruit fly flies Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) sitting on a blade of grass and, we have to assume, contemplating the difficulties of staying aloft when you weigh next to nothing. Photo of...
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