Can Flies Drink Water?

Scientists in California have discovered that flies are attracted to beer. They hope to use this information to develop new ways to combat pests. The phenomenon was first observed in the 1920s and the scientists are hoping to find ways to combat flies more effectively. According to Anupama Dahanukar, a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, this attraction is due to the chemical recognition of flies’ bodies.

The fruit fly has specialized taste cells that respond to carbon dioxide. Since carbon dioxide is smaller than sugar and has no nutritional value, it doesn’t seem like it would be a good food choice for the flies. The researchers are also trying to isolate the actual taste receptor on the CO2-sensing nerve cell in the fruit fly. This would allow them to test whether humans have the same receptors on their taste cells.

During a study of female fruit flies in wine, scientists were able to isolate a pheromone that flies release. Scientists discovered that 2.4 nanograms of pheromone are released from the female fruit fly every hour. The pheromone was isolated and studied by Peter Witzgall and Paul Becher.

Despite these findings, scientists are still not certain that flies can drink water. Currently, there are still no clear answers, but this is an intriguing question to ponder. Until now, scientists have had some successes in identifying the chemical responsible for the taste. But they do not know whether flies can detect bitter and umami compounds.

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