Teen-aged Mutant Ninja Fruit Fly Lab

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Teen-aged Mutant Ninja Fruit Fly Lab
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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)

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The Fruit Fly
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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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)

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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.

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Interphase

• 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.

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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.

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Prophase I

• 2. What happens at Prophase I?
• Move chromosomes inside of cell to represent
  prophase I.
• Draw and color chromosomes at prophase I.

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Metaphase I

• Move chromosomes to represent metaphase.
• Draw and color metaphase.

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Anaphase I

• Move chromosomes to represent anaphase.
• Draw and color anaphase

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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.

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Metaphase II

• Move chromosomes into the metaphase position.
• Draw and color metaphase.

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Anaphase II

• Move chromosomes into anaphase II position.
• Draw and color anaphase II.

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Telophase II

• Move chromosomes into telophase position.
• Draw and color telophase.

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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.

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Interpretation of ResultsAnswer these questions
individually.

1. How many cells are at the end of the process?
2. What are these types of cells called?
3. Are they haploid or diploid?
4. Describe each of the 4 (gamete) cells
   characteristics based on the genes it inherited.