title: A search for principles of disability using experimental impairment of Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: The results of life table experiments to determine the effects of artificial impairment (leg amputation) in 7500 Drosophila melanogaster adults revealed that the extent to which life expectancy was reduced in impaired individuals was conditional on: (1) leg location and number amputated--front leg had greatest impact and the number of legs amputated directly correlated with mortality impact; (2) age of amputation--the greatest relative reduction in remaining life expectancy occurred when young flies were impaired; (3) vial orientation--mortality in impaired flies was the least when vials held upside-down (most friendly environment) and the greatest when they were right-side up (least friendly environment); and (4) sex--male mortality was increased more than female mortality in nearly all impairment treatments. These results were used to formulate a set of general principles of disability that would apply not only to humans but to all organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jrcarey@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Noa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pinter-Wollman
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wyman
authors.forename: Hans-Georg
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Freerk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molleman
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D008017:Life Expectancy; D015993:Life Tables; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D012737:Sex Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*