eyeless is the gene in Drosophila that regulates development of the eye. Its symbol is ey, its cytological map position is 102C, and the FlyBase ID (whatever that is) is FBgn0005558.

When eyeless is turned on in a bit of fruit fly other than the usual front-of-its-head region, it grows eyes there: wings, legs, anywhere. The eyes are morphologically normal, with fully differentiated ommatidia and photoreceptors.

Homologous genes are found right across the metazoa.

Richard Dawkins says it's a damn silly idea to name a gene after the opposite of its actual function.

Aldous Huxley wrote a novel Eyeless in Gaza in 1936, which is itself a Biblical quotation.

Eye"less` (?), a.

Without eyes; blind.

"Eyeless rage."

Shak.

 

© Webster 1913.

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