Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine how dexamethasone will affect the anxiety rates of Drosophila Melanogaster and its Arf79F mutant. This mutant is missing the gene that codes for inflammation in its body. Four tests groups were created: a normal group with no mutation nor any dexamethasone (N-), a genetically normal group exposed to dexamethasone (N+), a mutated group that was not exposed to dexamethasone (M-), and a mutated group that was exposed to dexamethasone (M+). Two different assays were conducted: a RING assay and a locomotor assay. The dexamethasone proved to change the outcome of the N+ groups of both assays, but not the other groups.