Life Sciences Commons^™

Lead Toxicology: A Study At The Intersections Of Community Health, Genetics, Reproduction, And Behavior, Sosina Abuhay 23, Lingli Zou '22, Sarah John '24, Dylan Koproski '23

Student Scholarship

Prior literature has indicated that toxic metal exposure can alter the circadian clock rhythm and lead to biological and physiological dysfunction. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of chronic exposure to lead on the circadian rhythm patterns of Drosophila Melanogaster. Fly locomotive activity was used as a measure of strength of the circadian rhythm after exposure to lead. It was hypothesized that higher concentrations of lead would have a greater impact on the circadian locomotor activity patterns of exposed Drosophila, specifically on the transition periods between “Morning” and “Evening.” Young adult male flies(1-3 days post-eclosion) were …