Which scientist studied genetics using fruit flies?

Which scientist studied genetics using fruit flies?

• A. Mendel
• B. Darwin
• C. Crick
• D. Thomas Hunt Morgan

Answer: (D)

Fruit flies became a key model organism in genetics because they reproduce quickly, produce many offspring, and their traits are easy to observe across generations. Thomas Hunt Morgan famously used Drosophila melanogaster to test the chromosome theory of inheritance. By crossing flies and tracking traits like eye color, he found patterns that pointed to genes being located on chromosomes and revealed sex-linked inheritance, such as the white-eye trait appearing mainly in males and linked to the X chromosome. This work directly demonstrated how genetic traits are transmitted through chromosomes, which is why Morgan is the scientist associated with studying genetics using fruit flies. Mendel studied inheritance in peas, Crick helped reveal DNA’s structure, and Darwin focused on evolution and natural selection, not fruit-flies genetics.

Fruit flies became a key model organism in genetics because they reproduce quickly, produce many offspring, and their traits are easy to observe across generations. Thomas Hunt Morgan famously used Drosophila melanogaster to test the chromosome theory of inheritance. By crossing flies and tracking traits like eye color, he found patterns that pointed to genes being located on chromosomes and revealed sex-linked inheritance, such as the white-eye trait appearing mainly in males and linked to the X chromosome. This work directly demonstrated how genetic traits are transmitted through chromosomes, which is why Morgan is the scientist associated with studying genetics using fruit flies. Mendel studied inheritance in peas, Crick helped reveal DNA’s structure, and Darwin focused on evolution and natural selection, not fruit-flies genetics.