BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Silent Switches

How genes and switches interact within and between chromosomes

13 June 2019

Silent Switches

The eye of a fruit fly is built using instructions encoded within its genes – stretches of DNA within the insect’s eight chromosomes. And, as you might expect, changes in these genes – or in the myriad control switches that turn them on and off at the right time and in the right place – can cause serious problems. Some of the switches are on the same chromosome as the gene they control, so it’s easy to see how they might work, but others are on different chromosomes and present more of a challenge. Scientists have been trying to unpick this confusion by breeding together a whole bunch of flies with different alterations in the control switches for a gene called eyes absent (eya), producing this gallery of strange-eyed insects. The results provide vital details about how genes and switches interact within and between chromosomes, giving insights into similar control systems in humans.

Written by Kat Arney

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.