Patricia Lin
HW#5- 4 Question Strategy- Selecting an Area of Interest
September 25, 2009
4 Question Strategy
1. What materials are readily available for conducting a research on neuroscience?
2. How does it act?
3. How can I change the effect?
4. How can you measure or describe the response?
Article #2
1. Write a bibliography of at the top of the page of each the article.
Robert Mitchum Chicago Tribune. "Fruit flies' genetic wealth has scientists abuzz." McClatchy Tribune News Service. 06 Mar 2009. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. MANHASSET SENIOR HIGH
SCHOOL. 27 Sep 2009. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.Robert Mitchum Chicago Tribune.
"Fruit flies' genetic wealth has scientists abuzz." McClatchy - Tribune News Service. 06 Mar
2009. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. MANHASSET SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. 27 Sep 2009.
<http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
2. Write a brief review about the article.
In the article, “Fruit Flies’ Genetic Wealth Has Scientists Abuzz,” it explains the excitement of
the new discovery that drosophila is one of the most important research animals in genetics. A
tenth of an inch critter’s brain is an encyclopedia of knowledge. Fruit fly research has been
researched for almost a century and they are now poised to broaden human knowledge of
diseases from cancer to depression. Drosophila is so popular because researchers can breed and
raise thousands of them very quickly. A new generation of fruit flies can be created every 10
days, and females lay as many as 400 eggs in their lifetime. We are able to use drosophila to do
simple experiments and genetic manipulations that cannot be done in humans.
3. How is your area of interest important to society? Need
Most diseases and disorders are related to the brain. It is important to learn as much as we
possibly can about this field. Doing so, there might be a possibility to cure diseases that many
people are suffering from.
4. Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working (name of
university)
It does not state the top scientists in this field in the article. Neuroscience is a new field so there
are many top scientists. Some top scientists in history are Galen, Vesalius and Rene Descartes.
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
Drosophila was used when scientist came to a conclusion that drosophila is one of the most
research animals in genetics. This is available in the Manhasset Lab.
1. What materials are readily available for conducting a research on neuroscience?
In Neuroscience, Drosophila is very common to conduct a research on. It is also available for use
when needed in the Manhasset Lab.
2. How does it act?
Drosophila has similarities to the neural transmissions that humans give off making them good
model organisms. They have an encyclopedia packed into a critter a tenth of an inch long.
3. How can I change the effect?
I can change the effect of Drosophila by giving it a substance and to observe the effects of it
afterwards.
4. How can you measure or describe the response?
I can measure the response by observing the behavior or use a microscope.
Article #3
1. Write a bibliography of at the top of the page of each the article.
Gronenberg, Wulfila. "Modality-specific segregation of input to ant mushroom bodies." Brain,
Behavior and Evolution. 2 1999. 85. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. MANHASSET SENIOR HIGH
SCHOOL. 27 Sep 2009. <http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
2. Write a brief review about the article.
In the article, “Modality-specific Segregation of Input to Ant Mushroom Bodies,” it explains
how insects are distinguished to adapt to activities involving assessment of many different
environmental conditions involving learning and memory. It explains an insect’s brain learning
and memory such as drosophila melanogaster and honey bees. Brain morphology was also
examined in ant species.
3. How is your area of interest important to society? Need
This area of interest is important to society because this study is needed to help brain activity
and we can understand more about it. Since fruit flies and insects are most similar to humans, it
is easier for us to study this and learn more about ourselves.
4. Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working (name of
university)
According to the article, Bert Holldober helped a lot with this project. B. Bolton also contributed
to this project. They work in Tuscon, Arizonia, in the Arizonia Research Laboratories, at the
University of Arizona.
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
When they studied this, the ant species were kept in plaster-of-Paris. When they studied the
brains, they were studied from aldehydefixed material stained with osmium-ethyl gallate. This is
not available at the Manhasser Lab.
1. What materials are readily available for conducting a research on neuroscience?
Many materials are readily available for conducting a research on neuroscience. Fruit flies such
as drosophila melongaster and C elegans. Honey bees and ants can also be used.
2. How does it act?
Drosophila is can be used to study genetics and it lends itself well to behavioral studies. They
can be obtained easily. C elegans can be researched into the molecular and developmental
biology. They are cheap and are useful for cell differentiation. It is also one of the simplest
organisms with a nervous system. They can also be used to study meiosis.
3. How can I change the effect?
I can change the effect by giving it a substance and changing its ability to do certain things.
4. How can you measure or describe the response?
I can describe the response due to how the organism is responding to its environment and how it
is either developing or not.
Article#4
1. Write a bibliography at the top of the page of each article.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Documents / FIND. Fruit Fly Study Identifies Gene Mutation
That Regulates Sensitivity to Alcohol. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Documents / FIND.
05 Oct 2006. eLibrary. ProQuest LLC. MANHASSET SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL. 28 Sep 2009.
<http://elibrary.bigchalk.com>.
2. Write a brief review of the article.
In the article, “Fruit Fly Study Identifies Gene Mutation That Regulates Sensitivity to Alcohol,”
researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, discovered a gene mutation in fruit
flies that alters sensitivity to alcohol. This has helped humans understand the differences in
people’s tolerances for alcohol. The scientists examined the behavior of the Drosophila when it
was exposed to alcohol. The low doses of alcohol increased the fruit flies activities. Other fruit
flies were more resistant to the alcohol. So, that means that many fruit flies had different
tolerances for alcohol.
3. How is your area important to society? Need.
This is important to society because studying about Drosophila and learning about gene
mutations help us learn about our mind and if we can find mutations too. Fruit flies just make our
lives so much easier since they are easier to research.
4. Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working (name of
university)
According to the article, Adrian Rothenfluh and other colleagues studied this field and they are
working in the laboratory of Ulrike Heberlein in the University of San Francisco.
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
The scientists used alcohol, cocaine and nicotine when they studied this.