National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Long Life Span in Flies Reversed By Just Whiff of Food


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Scientists studying fruit flies, such as the one seen here magnified in a scanning electron microscope, have confirmed a strong link between the animals' sense of smell and their life spans.

Flies on a restricted diet tend to live much longer, but even a small whiff of food can reverse that effect. Flies with a damaged sense of smell, however, live even longer—regardless of the presence of food odors—the new study shows.

Photograph by Dr. Richard Kessel/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images