Question

Fruit flies were used as experimental organism by Morgan because

• A. they have a life cycle of about 15 weeks
• B. single mating produces a large number of progeny flies
• C. all the characteristics exhibited by flies cannot be viewed under a microscope
• D. female flies are smaller in size than male flies and hence are easily distinguishable

Answer 1

The correct option is B single mating produces a large number of progeny flies

Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is considered the “Cinderella of genetics” as it was used as a model organism in numerous genetic experiments. This led to the exploration of various important concepts of genetics like linkage and recombination.
The reason behind choosing it as an experimental organism is as follows:-
They have a life cycle of about 40 to 50 days (or 6-7 weeks).
Female flies are larger than male flies and are easily distinguishable.
Flies have many types of hereditary variations that can be seen even with low power microscopes or sometimes even with the naked eye.
Single mating produces a large number of progeny flies.