Who popularised *Drosophila* as a genetic model organism?
- AGregor Mendel
- BRosalind Franklin
- CThomas Hunt Morgan
- DJames Watson
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: (c) Thomas Hunt Morgan
Explanation
Thomas Hunt Morgan made the fruit fly *Drosophila melanogaster* the standard model organism of genetics, in his "fly room" at Columbia University. Fruit flies breed quickly, are easy to keep, have only four pairs of chromosomes and show clear variations, such as white eyes.
His work proved that genes are carried on chromosomes, and showed sex-linked inheritance and linkage. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933.
Mendel worked on peas; Rosalind Franklin took the X-ray images of DNA; James Watson co-discovered its double helix.