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Glite Dictionary
genus Drosophila

genus Drosophila

6.7
A group of small fruit flies used to study genes
  • noun
  • /ˈdrosəˌfɪlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Drosophila
  • Researchers often study the behavior of insects, especially the genus Drosophila, to understand genetic inheritance.

Examples

  • It is known that fruit flies of the genus Drosophila, a laboratory workhorse in genetics, follow increasing concentrations of ethanol vapor as a way to find the ripe fruit within which they lay their eggs.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The genus Drosophila includes several species commonly used in genetic experiments to observe mutations.

  • In genetic research, the genus Drosophila is favored for its short life cycle and ease of development in the lab.

Surface Forms

genus Drosophila singular
genera Drosophila plural

Morphology

genus + drosophila

The meaning is directly compositional: 'genus' names a taxonomic rank and 'Drosophila' names the group of small fruit flies, so a learner who knows both words can infer this refers to the taxonomic genus containing those flies. This construction (rank + taxon name) is a transparent, cross-linguistically common pattern and therefore immediately understandable to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Genus Drosophila combines the word genus, a Latin word for a scientific 'group', and Drosophila, from old Greek meaning 'dew-loving'. So, genus Drosophila simply means the 'group' of small, 'dew-loving' fruit flies that scientists use to study 'genes'.