Name: _________________________________________________________________ Period: _____
Fruit Fly Genetics Virtual Lab
Purpose: This virtual investigation will allow you to understand basic patterns of inheritance for
dominant/recessive traits.
Procedure: Go to the Virtual Investigation for Chapter 4 on the Holt-McDougal website –
http://my.hrw.com/index.jsp (or navigate to the site by going to Biology Website tab on
my website to find a link to the textbook website.)
Remember that for most students, both your user name and password are your id number. Once you
are logged in, select the online textbook. Then from the top menu bar, select Chapter 6 and in the
student premium version and then click on go. (See screenshot below). Once you are in Chapter 6,
select multimedia labs and activities tab select the Chapter 6 virtual lab ”Breeding Mutations in Fruit
Flies.”
You must be in the Student
Premium Tab. Select
Chapter 6 and Click “GO”
Follow the directions to learn the laboratory equipment and start to perform the virtual fruit fly genetic
crosses.
Information for fruit fly identification:

Male fruit flies are generally smaller and have a more pointed abdomen. Female fruit flies are
generally larger and have a more rounded abdomen. See diagram on the next page.
Male

Female
The trait that will be studied in this activity is body color. Compare the body color of the upper
body segment (tan vs. ebony/black).
Analysis Questions:
1.
What are the phenotypes for body color of the parental generation?
2.
What are the results for the F1 generation?
Phenotype
Tan Males
Tan Females
Ebony Males
Ebony Females
3.
Number
What are the results for the F2 generation?
Phenotype
Tan Males
Tan Females
Ebony Males
Ebony Females
Number
Give the approximate ratio of tan to ebony fruit flies in the F2 generation.
4.
Infer if the allele for ebony body color is dominant or recessive. Explain your answer.
5.
The parental generation was true-breeding.
What was the genotype of the parental male? _______
What was the genotype of the parental female? _______
6.
Construct a Punnett square to show the original cross for the parental generation.
Relate this Punnett Square to the results for the F1 generation.
7.
Construct a Punnett square to show the cross for the F1 generation.
Relate this Punnett Square to the results for the F2 generation.