Sex differences in Drosophila development and physiology

Male and female flies differ in many aspects of development and physiology. Identifying the mechanism(s) underlying sex differences in cell and body growth, organ function, and metabolism is important in understanding how these male-female differences in development and physiology are created. Recently, studies in Drosophila have advanced our understanding of the sex-specific regulation of growth and cell signaling pathways, organ homeostasis, and metabolism. Here, we highlight how this knowledge provides important insight into the mechanisms underlying sex differences in body size, stress responses, lifespan, and disease processes. In addition, we will discuss how studying development and physiology has revealed previously unrecognized complexity in the Drosophila sex determination pathway.