To finish by me before midterm:

• Neutral Evolution
• Mutation Selection
• Balancing Selection
• Fishers Theorem
• Linkage Disequilibrium
• Spatial Variation
• Migration
Drosophila as model
organisms
Starting a bit of Unit 3
Introduction:

•A model organism is a non-human species that is

extensively studied to understand particular
biological phenomena.

•The choice of a model organism depends on

what question is being asked
 Drosophila as a model organism to study
Developmental Genetics
• Development is a successive process of systematic gene-directed
changes throughout an organism’s life cycle.

• Developmental processes are divided into 4 sub-processes:

1. Growth (cell division)
2. Differentiation
3. Pattern formation
4. Morphogenesis
1. Growth or cell division
• Post-fertilization, a diploid zygote undergoes a period of rapid mitotic
divisions called Cleavage.

• During the process of cleavage, a zygote is continuously getting divided into

smaller cells called blastomeres.

• Gastrulation is the processes resulting in the spatial organization of the

blastomeres into 3 germ layers: a) ectoderm, b) mesoderm and c)
endoderm.

• Imp: Cleavage is tightly controlled process via Cyclins & Cyclin Dependent
Kinases (Cdks).
 2. The process by which dividing cells achieve
specialized functional or phenotypical type.

Its life cycle is Divided

into
4 stages:

1. Embryo,
2. Larva,
3. Pupa, and
4. Adult.
Imaginal Discs

• Body parts of Adult fly develops from IMAGINAL DISC.

• Imaginal discs are groups of cells that are undifferentiated, in each

segment of the larva.
3. Pattern formation

In the early stages of pattern formation, 2 perpendicular axes are

established which are as follows:

i) Anterior/posterior (A/P, head-to-tail) axis

ii) Dorsal/ventral (D/V, back-to-front) axis.

4. Morphogenesis
• Homework for my class