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Drosophila Development Stages Explained

The document outlines the development stages of Drosophila, including fertilization, embryonic development, and cellularization. It details the processes from egg activation to the formation of an epithelial layer, highlighting the role of molecular gradients and the unique characteristics of Drosophila sperm. The entire development process takes approximately 10-12 days, culminating in the formation of an adult fly.

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16 views15 pages

Drosophila Development Stages Explained

The document outlines the development stages of Drosophila, including fertilization, embryonic development, and cellularization. It details the processes from egg activation to the formation of an epithelial layer, highlighting the role of molecular gradients and the unique characteristics of Drosophila sperm. The entire development process takes approximately 10-12 days, culminating in the formation of an adult fly.

Uploaded by

team89107
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Drosophila Development

Wing patterns in males of three fruit fly species:

Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila biarmipes

Drosophila guttifera
It takes around 10-12 days to develop Drosophila

Egg
↓

Embryo
↓

Larva (3 instars)
↓

Pupa
↓

Adult
Embryonic development in Drosophila
• Development begins with fertilization.

• Prior to fertilization, molecular gradients exist within the eggs.


Polar cytoplasm occurs at the posterior end---example of maternal
effect.

• 2 nuclei fuse after fertilization to form a zygote.

• 9 mitotic divisions occur without cell division, and after the 7th
division, in the 10 cell cycle some nuclei migrate to the polar
cytoplasm (posterior) creating germ-line precursors.

• Other nuclei migrate to the cell surface and form blastoderm


precursor.

• 4 more mitotic divisions occur and all nuclei are separated by cell
membranes.
Fertilization
In Drosophila egg is already activated even before sperm enters in it.

Sperms are stored by female, sperm enter through micropyle and sperm
compete with from differing genotypes.

The tails of sperm is as long as the adult fly 1.8 mm and 300 times bigger
than the human sperm.

Sperm Egg
Cleavage; superficial cleavage, cells do not form
boundaries in the beginning.

The first 14 rounds of nuclear division in a Drosophila embryo. The


syncytium form (a single cell with many nuclei residing in the cytoplasm).
Embryonic development in Drosophila
Embryo development in Drosophila

Histone:GFP;
Cellularization links embryonic cleavage to the formation of an epithelial layer.

Thomas Lecuit J Cell Sci 2004;117:3427-3433

© The Company of Biologists Limited 2004


Cell-surface remodelling and vesicular transport pathways underlying cellularization.

Thomas Lecuit J Cell Sci 2004;117:3427-3433

© The Company of Biologists Limited 2004


Cellularization of embryo

Within 4
hours of
fertilization
Close to
6000 cells
are made.

Transverse section

Surface view
Gastrulation in Drosophila

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