Question

Drosophila melanogastor has 8 chromosomes in it's somatic cells. The number of possible linkage groups is

• A. 4
• B. 8
• C. 2
• D. 5

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

4

Drosophila melanogaster is a fruit fly. It is a tiny fly of about 2 mm size which is found in overripe fruits like mango and banana. It is suitable for experimental material. It has a smaller number of morphologically distinct chromosomes. It has 8 chromosomes in its somatic cells. The number of linkage group in an organism corresponds to its haploid number of chromosomes. Somatic cells are diploid. Therefore, the number of linkage groups in Drosophila melanogaster is 4.