Dimensions
130 x 197 x 16mm
A Great Unsung Hero Celebrates a Hundred Years In Science.
In ten weeks, one female could produce more descendants that there are people on Earth. Some are born without genitals - scientists call these mutants "Ken and Barbie" - whereas others are born with their legs on their heads. They can be trained by punishment or reward, and have a work-and-rest schedule based on the 24-hour clock. They can become addicted to crack cocaine. Males have toxic semen, which is bad news for females: too much sex can kill them. And there are more than a thousand species living exclusively on the islands of Hawaii.
The fruit fly is in fact an unsung hero in the history of science. Although a key ingredient in many of this century's greatest discoveries, outside the laboratory it remains virtually unseen and unknown. No popular account exists of the fruit fly or its pioneering role. This book corrects this poor public image by telling story of modern biology - from genetics to evolution, physiology to ecology, medicine to psychology - through the life of the fly.
In a highly original, witty and irreverent style, Martin Brookes takes us through successive stages in the life cycle of the fly, each illustrating an important concept in biology. Some, such as the fundamentals of heredity, are well established; others, such as sexual warfare and theories of aging, are still in their infancy. But whether the incredible journey from embryo to adult, the nature of memory and learning, or the origin of new species, the book provides a glimpse of how one short life has informed almost every aspect of human existence.
The result is a broad introduction to biology, evolution and genetics based around the personality of the fly, and a "warts and all" insight into the practical realities of science. Often dismissed as irrelevant, the fruit fly will, through this distinctive biography, come to be recognised for what it really is: an icon of twentieth century science and a window to our own biological world.
