Scientists are examining the reasons behind ongoing aggression in female fruit flies.
They have pinpointed particular cell types in the flies' brains that are linked to aggression.
By stimulating these cells, the flies display aggressive behavior. However, the researchers are now curious to understand how the signals from these cells work together to produce long-lasting aggression.
How It Was Tested
Scientists conducted experiments by separating the flies and activating the aggression-associated cells for different periods of time.
They discovered that one cell type causes this specific persistent aggression, causing the fruit flies to fight for up to 10 minutes.
However, another cell type, pC1d, did not have the same effect.
The scientists realized that their initial hypothesis about recurrent connections between these cell types was not entirely accurate.
Other things such as pC1e or neuromodulators may play a role in maintaining the persistent aggressive state.
More experiments and studies will explore these alternative explanations and shed more light on the subject.
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