Fly : an experimental life / Martin Brookes.

"In 1900, a small band of fruit flies were lured towards a bunch of rotting grapes left on a window sill outside a biology laboratory in Massachusetts. Tucking into the grub, the flies were taken by surprise, captured and brought indoors. It was the start of an intimate relationship between biologist and fly that would revolutionize biological science." "Today, the fruit fly can look back on a remarkable century. The fly has been a key ingredient in some of the greatest biological discoveries and it continues to define biology's major landmarks. Yet the fly remains an unsung hero in the history of science. Outside academic circles, its achievements have gone largely unnoticed. This book corrects this poor public image by telling a story of modern biology - from genetics to development, behaviour to ageing and evolution to the origin of species - through the life of the fly." "Martin Brookes takes us through successive stages in the life cycle of the fly, each illustrating an important concept in biology."--BOOK JACKET.