An experiment conducted with fruit flies found that sleeping can help retrieve old memories. For a series of experiments, researchers altered the genes of fruit flies. While this caused various types of problems with memory, the researchers found that the flies could get their memories back. An example of this was a test in short term memory. The flies remembered to avoid an area treated with a nasty chemical (quinine). The article remarks that, “Insects and people are different. That means the fly research doesn’t necessarily apply to us. Still, dozing fruit flies act a lot like people. Sleeping flies hold very still. Snoozing flies are hard to wake up.” This experiment leaves the researchers hopeful to connect this find to potential treatments for diseases like Alzheimer's.
This article was interesting to find that people are trying to find connections between sleeping fruit flies to curing Alzheimer’s. The article comments that people think this, “is a stretch” but at least people are taking different approaches to find a treatment for the disease. Perhaps, small experiments with fruit flies could lead other researchers into the right path for a cure. Nevertheless, this article is informative as it demonstrates that people are taking a variety of approaches to find a cure as well as reporting a unique, unpredicted response from the flies in the experiment.
Sanders, Laura. "Catching ZZZs May Retrieve Lost Memories." Science News for Students. Society for Science and the Public, 29 Jan. 2017. Web. 15 June 2017.
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/catching-zzzs-may-retrieve-lost-memories
This article is very interesting. I think it is amazing that the fruit flies are able to better retain memory when they have more sleep. I have also heard before that if you stay up late studying, and do not get enough sleep, you won't remember what you studied. I think it is very interesting that sleep is necessary for your memories to last. It also makes sense because when you do not get enough sleep sometimes you feel confused or out of it, and it makes sense that you need sleep to remember things. I also think that the research towards curing Alzheimer's is awesome.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting I had no idea there was a relation from fruit flies and alzheimer's disease. I also find it very interesting that doctors are not giving up on finding a cure for the alzheimer's disease. That they are trying everything they can to find a cure. I had no idea that fruit flies resemble us in the way of the more sleep they get the better their memory is.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading this article it is very interesting how signifiant sleep is in order for your memory to retain what you are learning. I think many students have noticed that when you stay up too late studying when you wake up you hardly remember what you learned and you find yourself cramming all the information in that morning. Also the connections between sleeping fruit flies to curing Alzheimer’s was something I never realized had a relation before.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very unexpected and surprised me with the tactics scientists use to learn more about the human species. The fact that they use fruit flies in order to determine that we can retrieve lost memories is quite confusing yet still very interesting that it can relate to us. Also, the connection between using fruit flies to find a cure to Alzheimer's is pretty crazy.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very unexpected and surprised me with the tactics scientists use to learn more about the human species. The fact that they use fruit flies in order to determine that we can retrieve lost memories is quite confusing yet still very interesting that it can relate to us. Also, the connection between using fruit flies to find a cure to Alzheimer's is pretty crazy.
ReplyDelete