Virtual FlyLab allows you play the role of a research geneticist. It is an educational application for learning the principles of genetic inheritance. You design matings between female and male fruit flies carrying one or more genetic mutations. Virtual Fly Lab will apply the correct rules of genetic inheritance to these mutations to obtain the offspring. It is your job to determine these rules based on the "experimental" results.

Design and Mate Flies:

You will see a number of possible genetic variations in the traits of the fruit fly. After you have observed the different traits, select one of the parent crosses to mate and observe the offspring. Record the results in your data. Explain what traits are dominant and recessive. What are the ratios of offspring to parents?

Monohybrid Crosses:

Wild Type Male X Sepia Eye Female
Wild Type Male X Ebony Female
Vestigial Wing Male X Wild Type Female

Dihybrid Crosses:

Ebony Body, Wild Wing Male X Wild Body,Vestigial Wing Female
Wild Male X Ebony Body, Sepia Eye Female
Wild Male, Aristapedia Antennae X Wild Female, Barred Eyes

Sex Linked Traits:

Wild Male X White Eye Female
Dichaete Male X Wild Type Female
Yellow Male X Wild Female

Gene Linkage and Crossing Over:

Wild Male X Sepia Eye, Dichaete Wing Female

Conclusion Questions:

What did you learn about making genetic crosses? Explain monohybrid and dihybrid crosses. What is a Punnett Square and how is it used to determine phenotypic ratios What can you conclude about the pattern of inheritance in Fruit Flies? Explain dominant and recessive traits. What are sex linked traits? How can you determine if a trait is sex linked? What are gene linked traits? How can you determine if genes are linked? What is crossing over? How can you determine if crossing over has occurred? Why is the Fruit Fly used in genetic research?