The Science of Genetics

Characteristics of  Organisms Used for Genetic Studies

5. Drosophila

• short generation time for a eukaryotic organisms (two weeks)
• availability of many mutants controlling specific phenotypes
• large chromosomes with well-defined cytogenetic system
• survives well in the lab and matings are easily performed
• currently, the best organism to study developmental genetics
• transposable elements can be manipulated to clone genes
• can be genetically engineered