Download Fruit Fly Meiosis

Teen-aged Mutant Ninja
Fruit Fly Lab
Objectives
The purpose of this activity is for students
to demonstrate how the process of
meiosis creates daughter cells that differ
from the parent cell.
 Also, students will demonstrate how genes
are passed from parents to offspring (their
children)

The Fruit Fly
The Fruit Fly
The fruit fly is a two
winged insect that is
very common around
fruit and vegetables.
 They are usually
brown, with red eyes.
They also have black
stripes on their
abdomen.
 They are an easy
organism to study in
biology.

Fruit Fly Genome (Genes)

Fruit flies have 4 pairs of
chromosomes.
– X and Y chromosome (male and
female)
– Chromosome #2- Controls eye
development of the fruit fly.
– Chromosome #3 controls the
color of the fly (brown or black)
– Chromosome #4 is very tiny and
we will ignore it
Supplies

In groups of 3 people
gather the following
supplies:
– 4 green pipe cleaners
 2 big ones
 2 small ones
– 4 yellow pipe cleaners
– 4 pink pipe cleaners
–
–
–
–
–
–
4 white beads
4 green beads
4 purple beads
4 blue beads
Colored pencils
Coin
Build the genetic material of the
cell
We will be using these materials to create
the fruit fly chromosomes and take them
through each stage of meiosis.
 You will be evaluated on the following:
Group Participation
Individual Accurateness

Sex Chromosomes
The green pipe cleaners represent the sex
chromosomes. They will determine the
gender of the offspring.
 Place one X chromosome and one Y
chromosome into the cell.
 Is this fly a male or female?

Eye development



Chromosome #2 controls the development of the eyes.
Sometimes there is a mutation (a change to the DNA)
and the offspring have no eyes.
The yellow pipe cleaner represents chromosome #2
Take 1 yellow pipe cleaner and place in cell. Flip a coin
to determine if it will mutate.
– Heads = mutation: Place a white bead on the pipe cleaner.
NO EYES
– Tails = non mutation: Place a red bead on the pipe cleaner.
EYES

Repeat the process for a second yellow pipe cleaner.
(flip coin again)
Color



Chromosome #3 represents the color of the fruit fly.
Normally, fruit flies are brown. A mutation (change in
DNA) may occur to create a black color.
The pink pipe cleaner represents chromosome #3.
Take 1 pink pipe cleaner and place in cell. Flip a coin to
determine if it will mutate.
– Heads = mutation: Place a blue bead on the pipe cleaner.
Black fly
– Tails = non mutation: Place a green bead on the pipe cleaner.
Brown Fly

Repeat the process for a second pink pipe cleaner. Flip
coin again.
Interphase


1.

We now have our complete DNA for the fruit
fly (except for the really small chromosome #4
that we are going to ignore)
This represents the cell at Interphase.
What happens at the very end of Interphase?
Is our cell haploid or diploid right now?
Draw and color your chromosomes on your
paper.
DNA Replication
Now you need to replicate each of your
chromosomes that you just built.
 These need to be exact copies of the
originals, including the same locations of
beads.
 Attach these together with paperclips.
The paperclips represent the centromeres.
 Draw and color DNA replication.

Prophase I
2. What happens at Prophase I?
 Move chromosomes inside of cell to
represent prophase I.
 Draw and color chromosomes at prophase
I.
Metaphase I
Move chromosomes to represent
metaphase.
 Draw and color metaphase.

Anaphase I
Move chromosomes to represent
anaphase.
 Draw and color anaphase

Telophase I and Prophase II
Move chromosomes to represent
telophase I and metaphase II.
 How many cells do we have? Are they
haploid or diploid?
 Draw and color our 2 cells.

Metaphase II
Move chromosomes into the metaphase
position.
 Draw and color metaphase.

Anaphase II
Move chromosomes into anaphase II
position.
 Draw and color anaphase II.

Telophase II
Move chromosomes into telophase
position.
 Draw and color telophase.

Make a baby fly
Take one of your male gametes and cross
it with a female gamete from another
group.
 Draw your new baby fly
 (Mutations are recessive, that is, if there is
a dominant gene, that will be expressed.

Interpretation of Results
Answer these questions
individually.
1.
2.
3.
4.
How many cells are at the end of the process?
What are these types of cells called?
Are they haploid or diploid?
Describe each of the 4 (gamete) cells
characteristics based on the genes it inherited.