Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, is widely used as a model organism in biological
research. The advantage to using this organism lies in its ability to reproduce quickly with many
offspring, short lifecycle and easiness to culture and maintain. Additionally, D. melanogaster only has
four pairs of chromosomes as well as a small genome, making it easy to keep track of and manipulate
targeted genes. The manipulation of these genes one to control bodily processes, particularly in
hormones. For example, the molecular mechanisms of cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis are
being researched by genetic manipulation in flies, as cholesterol also serves as a precursor in the
synthesis of steroid hormones (Ryusuke and Yuko 2011). D. melanogaster is also used to study the effect
of hormones from a developmental standpoint, as they are necessary for the fly to mature from egg to
adult fly. In the molting process, as long as juvenile hormone is present, D. melanogaster larvae will
continue to progress in new larval instars and continue through its life cycle (Gilbert SF 2000).
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