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Fruit Flies Taste water
Stephen Omes
Web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100421/Note2.asp

If you ask a friend what water tastes like he would say nothing, but scientists did research on a type of fly, the fruit fly and determined that these flies tastes water. They can't yet explain whats the taste like but there sure it can taste water using a protein called PPK28. This protein adds taste to water. This protein they use is in a larger family of proteins one of these proteins humans use to taste salt. Scientist did an experiment to prove this they had to groups of fruit flies a normal one and one were the flies taste cells were disabled. Then They added a chemical to both groups of flies, the chemical started glowing when the protein PPK28 was in use. They let both groups toward water the normal fruit flies started glowing immediately and drank. While the other ones didn't even want to try the water.

In class we are studying survival of animals and organisms. In a way this protein ensures the survival of fruit flies. It supplies the with a food source. In the experiment scientists conducted the fruit flies with disabled taste cells didn't drink the water and the ones with the cells did. Which means protein helps them survive, because the flies can taste the water it supplies them with nutrients. The only thing the flies have to do is find a clean water source. And there's ample of nutrients for them.

I found this article while browsing the Science News for Kids website. And I chose it because this was weird but amazing. This discovery doesn't really help us solve any problems we face but scientist are trying to find a way to transfer this protein into humans. I while reading this article i thought I weird that such small creatures developed something amazing. I enjoyed reading this article because it was amazing but also made me think how water would taste.