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Related Concept Videos

Genetic Variation01:25

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
Position-effect Variegation02:32

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs02:26

Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs

Sequencing of the human genome has opened up several best-kept secrets of the genome. Scientists have identified thousands of genome variations that exist within a population. These variations can be a single nucleotide or a larger chromosomal variation.
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
06:41

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

Published on: August 20, 2019

Genome-wide variation in the human and fruitfly: a comparison.

C F Aquadro1, V Bauer DuMont, F A Reed

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biotechnology Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. cfa1@cornell.edu

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|October 30, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Human and fruitfly genomic diversity patterns are surprisingly similar, despite lower human nucleotide diversity. Both species show variation linked to recombination and natural selection, with lower diversity outside Africa, suggesting shared evolutionary histories.

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Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using Drosophila tissue
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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
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Published on: August 20, 2019

Navigating MARRVEL, a Web-Based Tool that Integrates Human Genomics and Model Organism Genetics Information
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Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using Drosophila tissue
13:47

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) using Drosophila tissue

Published on: March 23, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Population genetics

Background:

  • Nucleotide diversity is significantly lower in humans compared to Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Genomic diversity patterns in both species are influenced by population size and evolutionary history.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare patterns of genomic diversity between humans and Drosophila melanogaster.
  • To investigate the influence of recombination and natural selection on genomic variation in both species.
  • To explore the reasons for lower genetic variation in non-African human populations.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of genomic diversity data.
  • Correlation analysis between nucleotide diversity and recombination rates.
  • Examination of the impact of positive natural selection on genomic variation.

Main Results:

  • Genomic diversity patterns are strikingly similar in humans and Drosophila melanogaster, despite a ten-fold difference in average nucleotide diversity.
  • Diversity levels in both species correlate with local recombination rates.
  • Both species exhibit lower variation in non-African compared to African populations, indicating shared evolutionary influences.

Conclusions:

  • Recombination and natural selection play similar roles in shaping genomic diversity in both humans and fruitflies.
  • Lower genetic variation outside Africa in humans likely reflects a combination of evolutionary history, natural selection, and founder effects.
  • Comparative genomics provides insights into fundamental evolutionary processes across diverse species.