5. Is your hypothesis correct or incorrect?
CORRECT. 1B: Daily light-emission oscillations will be detected from flies
kept in constant darkness. Per gene expression oscillates in a regular
pattern that is independent of external light cues. Per is one of several
genes that are controlled by the fly's intrinsic biological clock.
6. Explain the conclusion of Experiment 1 in your own words. (Scroll to bottom of
screen.)
Per gene expression oscillates in a regular pattern that is independent of
external light cues. These oscillations continue in darkness (although
some dampening of the signal occurs over time). This experiment is
analogous to human studies in which researchers measured the times
when people wake and sleep in constant darkness. These studies show
that organisms maintain a constant period in their cycles of waking and
sleeping. Thus organisms have an intrinsic biological clock that maintains
control over these patterns. Per is a key component of the clock, and it
controls itself by regulating its own transcription.
