What we did!

Fruit flies, I certainly do not have a single bit of interest in them. They are such a nuisance, disgusting and irritating. I did not expect anyone to want to find out more about them, less to breed them or observe them so closely.

When we first arrived at the Physics laboratory, we had a brief introduction on fruit flies, or the Drosophila. We learnt that though they are minute and seem unimportant to us, they play a very important role in the research of genetic diseases and hereditary. Also, we learnt more about them, like how to differentiate a female fly from a male fly, and how to create a suitable environment for them to grow in.

Now it's time for the fun part! All of us are required to make a Grow-up Kit for our flies! We were given food such as bananas, milo powder, yeast, vinegar, water, agar powder, and asked to use them to make the fly food! We had the bananas mashed, and then added in the other ingredients. It is amazing to know that all these ingredients serve purposes in aiding the growth of the flies. Bananas, they are a source of carbohydrates. Vinegar is to preserve the food. Milo powder is a rich source of vitamins. Yeast acts as a supplement for the flies. Agar powder prevents the food from getting too wet, thus avoiding the drowning of the flies. When the mixture was done, we place it in a glass beaker and microwaved it. It smelt like freshly baked cookies, but the sight of it was unattractive.

Initially, we thought that it was successful, as the product was not too sticky or wet, in fact, it was just right! Thus we left for break. However, when we came back, the food had dried up! It really became "cookie". We had no choice but to use it, for we had no time to redo it :(

Before knowing their sexes, we had to anesthetize them. Through the help of a FlyNap, we dip a cotton bud into a vial containing a small portion of the liquid. Then, the cotton bud was inserted into the test tube of fruit flies. Soon, they were all knocked-out, just like falling asleep. Next, we started sexing the flies. This was tough, for all we know was the theory on how to differentiate the flies, but never tried it before. After struggling for quite a while, we managed to differentiate them through our teachers' help. It would be ridiculous to put 2 flies of the same sex together, yeah?

In overall, we learnt alot during this day, and it was FUN!