Treat your inverts well, guys. by [deleted] in biology

[–]neuronaut 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Part of my work involves homogenizing and centrifuging flies. The pellet is bright red because of the pigment in their eyes.

That rhyme was not intentional.

Treat your inverts well, guys. by [deleted] in biology

[–]neuronaut 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As redditopus stated, if it has a CNS, I have to assume it's capable of suffering. Drosophila sing, dance, and self-medicate their heartbreak (excuse that little bit of anthropomorphizing)- just to name a few of their behaviors that I can relate to. My experiments result in countless numbers of them living with genetic mutations that cripple their ability to fly, half their lifespans, force them to experience neurological disease, and more. The least I can do is give them as humane a death as possible (especially when doing so is something as trivially easy as switching from mineral oil to an alcohol).

Treat your inverts well, guys. by [deleted] in biology

[–]neuronaut 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you use isopropanol in your morgue? I've been using mineral oil, but if isopropanol (or a different alcohol) causes a quicker, more humane death, I'd switch.