Draft

A new study done by researchers at Colombia University has identified serotonin as the chemical that triggers the body's startle response in fruit flies. This study shows that when a fruit fly is starlted with unexpected changes to its surroundings, levels of serotonin rise and this helps to stop the fly in its tracks. Since serotonin also exists in people, the results in this study may be a clue as to what happens inside our body with the serotinin levels when we become startled. Serotonin is closely associated with mood and emotion, but more recently, it has been shown to affect the speed of animals movement. The researchers found that serotonin levels in walking fruit flies varied when experiencing additional factors, such as different temperatures, walking upside down, and walking while hungry. Researchers found the biggest significant changes in serotonin levels when a sudden change to the fruit fly's environment occured, or when they were startled.