Parasite-host associations: An experiment on fecundity and infection success
| dc.contributor.author | Uyaniker, Tunay | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-09-08T15:39:02Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-09-08T15:39:02Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2022 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 2022-09-08 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Parasitylenchus nearcticus are a rare nematode parasite that infects Drosophila species. The affects of Parasitylenchus nearcticus has been previously observed on the eastern Drosophila recens, however, for our experiment we are concerned with Drosophila subquinaria, a western species, since the host range of Parasitylenchus nearcticus is understudied. Using the host range, it is possible to describe the niche of parasites. In this experiment, we question the effects of the parasite on host fecundity and we also observe the parasite performance according to host sex. Fly larvae were infected with parasites, separated by sex and kept alive for one week after pupae emergence before being dissected under a microscope. Once dissected, the number of worms were counted and categorized depending on their filial generation. We also compared the mature eggs of females to see if the number of eggs vary according to infection status. Infected female Drosophila subquinaria had no mature eggs in their body therefore had been deprived of their fecundity. When compared, males had a much higher parasite density than females indicating more reproductive success of the mother worm in males. Our results suggest an immunological difference between male and female flies and implies the male’s susceptibility to parasite reproduction within the fly body. | en_US |
| dc.description.reviewstatus | Reviewed | en_US |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Undergraduate | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Valerie Kuehne Undergraduate Research Awards (VKURA) | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1828/14215 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.subject | Parasitism | |
| dc.subject | Drosophila subquinaria | |
| dc.subject | Parasitylenchus nearcticus | |
| dc.subject | Fecundity | |
| dc.subject | Infection | |
| dc.subject | Valerie Kuehne Undergraduate Research Awards (VKURA) | |
| dc.subject.department | Department of Biology | |
| dc.title | Parasite-host associations: An experiment on fecundity and infection success | en_US |
| dc.type | Poster | en_US |