Why can a honeybee queen produce drones (male bees) from unfertilised eggs while workers are produced from fertilised eggs?
Answer
Because unfertilised eggs develop into haploid drones, whereas fertilised eggs develop into diploid workers.
The correct answer is Because unfertilised eggs develop into haploid drones, whereas fertilised eggs develop into diploid workers. — Thus the difference in egg fertilisation explains the sex of the offspring
Step-by-step solution
- Recall that honeybees are haplodiploid: unfertilised eggs are haploid, fertilised eggs are diploid
- Recognise that queens lay unfertilised eggs to produce drones (male, haploid)
- Queens also lay fertilised eggs to produce workers (diploid female)
- Thus the difference in egg fertilisation explains the sex of the offspring
Common mistake: Not mentioning haploid versus diploid development
Concept tested: Haplodiploidy in bees
Published · How this solution was prepared and checked
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