end of the gene pool. A Marine Bios major at
O.U., she also has a talent for music, throwing
pottery, and a wicked sense of humor. She will
not be marrying or having children, as she says
my gene pool should be stopped here and now.
Oh tiny fly, Drosophilae
You charming little beau
More useful than you thought you were,
More helpful than you know.
Your chromosomes are four, my dear,
As haploid they are two.
To you ten days seem like a year,
None breeds so fast as you.
Each generation that you sire,
Is studied: wing and eye.
To satisfy man's desire,
On how genes work and why.
Each feature you possess, dear fly
It is distinctly you
The traits your progeny come by,
May be your spouse's too.
Some children, they may have your wings
Or her vermilion eye
Depending on heritable things
Likean X, or unimportant Y
For Y or not, one X is male
XX will make a gal
And XXY is female still,
Your Y is useless pal.
So bless this little fruit-o-phile,
He does deserve our praise.
For showing off his gene awhile
Beneath our watchful gaze.
J.J. Soski 7-30-04
