write about this topic. Be sure to include all references and use your own words (Reports should be between 300-400 words.
Research the discovery of the original Toll gene in Drosophila melanogaster.
Tell us about the researchers, and their original findings.
What is Toll’s actual function in the fruit fly?
Why was this discovery so significant?
What are your thoughts regarding this discovery?
At the end of your report, include an open-ended and provocative question.
Sample Solution
The original Toll gene was discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly. This important discovery was made by two researchers, Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus in 1981. The two were awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology due to their finding of the Toll gene and its importance to genetics studies.
Sample Solution
The original Toll gene was discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly. This important discovery was made by two researchers, Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus in 1981. The two were awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology due to their finding of the Toll gene and its importance to genetics studies.
Toll is located on chromosome 3 within a cluster of genes related to development called larval cuticle proteins, which has been included in what is called the Toll pathway. It’s purpose is to activate a series of reactions that help control cellular communication in larvae during metamorphosis. During this process it produces both extracellular and intracellular molecules that influence cell fate determination which alters the overall shape of a developing organism (Griffiths et al., 2002).
The significance of this discovery lies largely with its potential applications towards medical research. For instance, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in our body’s innate immune response when exposed to microbial agents such as bacteria or viruses (Gaboriau-Routhiau et al., 2009). Therefore, further exploration into TLRs could provide insight into how we can develop better treatments for infectious diseases. Additionally, research into tissue regeneration using Toll may give us new understanding into how we can heal injuries more efficiently through stimulating certain pathways at a cellular level (Vlachogiannis et al., 2019).
I find this discovery incredibly impressive not just because it gave us some valuable insight but also due to how much progress has been made since then. Thanks to ever advancing technology combined with meticulous work from dedicated scientists around the world, discoveries such as these have become even more applicable towards solving real world problems like illnesses or injury recovery time periods. It goes without saying that there are still many questions left unanswered but I have faith that someday soon those will be answered too!
In what other ways might changes within the TLR pathway impact human physiology?
