The effect of different substances on the number of fruit flies
Maya Nalawade, Erik Pan, Alec Chen
Introduction
The fruit fly is a species of the common housefly, known as Drosophila Melanogaster. But for our convenience, we are utilising a certain genetically modified species without wings. Adults typically grow to approximately 1/8 inch long and have red eyes. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion is black and striped. Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen due to the fact that they can smell when the fruit fermentates and that they crave the sugars that are producedn addition these fruits provide a moisture film for the flies to reproduce. But they are also …show more content…
(Sides A and B)
Independent Variable: The independent variable is the substance that will be placed onto either side of the cotton balls. Here these substances are going to be orange juice, vinegar and water.
Confounding Variables: Our constant variables are the pipe and six cotton balls used to make the choice chamber, the amount of each substance held inside the cotton balls, the size of the pipe and the amount of fruit flies placed within the choice chamber.
Replication/Sample Size: For our experiment we performed each test a total of three times. The first three: Water vs. Water, the second three: Water vs. Orange Juice, the third: Water vs. Vinegar, the last: Orange Juice vs. Vinegar.
Baseline Control: Our control was the very first three tests: the test where both ends were covered in water. It was merely to test if the flies would go to either side equally, and to see if there were any other extraneous variables that would affect the flies in some other way.
Table
The amount of fruit flies going in either direction A or B according to the substance held on each end.
Side A
Side B
Water vs. Water
10.223
9.777
Water vs. Orange …show more content…
The orange juice attracted the most flies with an average of approximately 13, the water attracted the second most with an average of about 10, and the vinegar attracted the least with an average of about 6. The hypothesis also had the three substances ordered in the same manner. Additionally, numbers were almost evenly spaced out, as the averages of the orange juice and the vinegar both differed from the 10 flies of the control by about 3-4 flies. To further support the flies’ preference of orange juice over vinegar, a final test was performed using just those two substances on either side of the choice chamber. The results of that test were more compelling, as an average of 16 flies gravitated towards the orange juice over the vinegar, a 100% increase from the difference of just the orange juice and water or the vinegar and water. The flies’ aversion to vinegar and attraction to orange juice can possibly be explained by adaptation. Vinegar has a pungent, acidic odor that flies may instinctively avoid, much like how they move towards the sweet, sugary scent of the orange juice.
Literature Cited
“Fruit Flies”. University of Kentucky. January 1994. (July 18 2016).
Hines, Sandra. “Fruit Flies”. University of Washington. 4 February 2004. (July 18 2016).
Wv.W
Wv.W
Wv.W
Wv.O
Wv.O
Wv.O
Wv.V
Wv.V
Maya Nalawade, Erik Pan, Alec Chen
Introduction
The fruit fly is a species of the common housefly, known as Drosophila Melanogaster. But for our convenience, we are utilising a certain genetically modified species without wings. Adults typically grow to approximately 1/8 inch long and have red eyes. The front portion of the body is tan and the rear portion is black and striped. Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen due to the fact that they can smell when the fruit fermentates and that they crave the sugars that are producedn addition these fruits provide a moisture film for the flies to reproduce. But they are also …show more content…
(Sides A and B)
Independent Variable: The independent variable is the substance that will be placed onto either side of the cotton balls. Here these substances are going to be orange juice, vinegar and water.
Confounding Variables: Our constant variables are the pipe and six cotton balls used to make the choice chamber, the amount of each substance held inside the cotton balls, the size of the pipe and the amount of fruit flies placed within the choice chamber.
Replication/Sample Size: For our experiment we performed each test a total of three times. The first three: Water vs. Water, the second three: Water vs. Orange Juice, the third: Water vs. Vinegar, the last: Orange Juice vs. Vinegar.
Baseline Control: Our control was the very first three tests: the test where both ends were covered in water. It was merely to test if the flies would go to either side equally, and to see if there were any other extraneous variables that would affect the flies in some other way.
Table
The amount of fruit flies going in either direction A or B according to the substance held on each end.
Side A
Side B
Water vs. Water
10.223
9.777
Water vs. Orange …show more content…
The orange juice attracted the most flies with an average of approximately 13, the water attracted the second most with an average of about 10, and the vinegar attracted the least with an average of about 6. The hypothesis also had the three substances ordered in the same manner. Additionally, numbers were almost evenly spaced out, as the averages of the orange juice and the vinegar both differed from the 10 flies of the control by about 3-4 flies. To further support the flies’ preference of orange juice over vinegar, a final test was performed using just those two substances on either side of the choice chamber. The results of that test were more compelling, as an average of 16 flies gravitated towards the orange juice over the vinegar, a 100% increase from the difference of just the orange juice and water or the vinegar and water. The flies’ aversion to vinegar and attraction to orange juice can possibly be explained by adaptation. Vinegar has a pungent, acidic odor that flies may instinctively avoid, much like how they move towards the sweet, sugary scent of the orange juice.
Literature Cited
“Fruit Flies”. University of Kentucky. January 1994. (July 18 2016).
Hines, Sandra. “Fruit Flies”. University of Washington. 4 February 2004. (July 18 2016).
Wv.W
Wv.W
Wv.W
Wv.O
Wv.O
Wv.O
Wv.V
Wv.V