Abstract: Drosophila melanogaster, known as fruit fly, has been used as one of the most powerful model organisms over a century in biological research, particularly in genetics and developmental biology. Drosophila possesses many advantages over other model organisms, and was extensively used to investigate the genetic mechanisms regulating embryonic development, organogenesis, diseases and animal behaviors.

Key words: model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, genetics, development, disease model