As you learned from the previous activity, the color of the fruit fly body is light brown. However, there are flies which are lighter or darker than most flies. Flies with different body color have a different genetic combination which eventually affects their appearance.
How, in your opinion, do genes affect the color of the fly’s body?
Enter the Fly-Lab and to the "Genetic database" Click on the gene ebony.
Read the information and watch the animation
The gene Ebony contains information for the production of a protein that:
Click on the ”Animation” button and watch all the possibilities in the animation.
What happens in flies homozygous for the Ebony gene (ee)? Explain in your own words why an “ee” fly is black ? (Use the protein in you answer)
What have you learned from this activities about genes?
