Question

Answer the following questions with respect to the sex determining mechanism observed in honey bee.

• [(a)] Name the type of sex determination system observed in honey bee.
• [(b)] Fill in the blanks (i), (ii) and (iii) in the given question.

• [(c)] What will be the sex and chromosome number of the progeny formed from the unfertilised eggs of honey bee?

Hint:

In honey bees, males develop from unfertilized eggs (haploid), while females (workers and queen) develop from fertilized eggs (diploid). Males produce gametes by mitosis.

Answer 1

Step 1 (a): The type of sex determination system observed in honey bees is called the Haplodiploid sex determination system.
Step 2 (b):

• [(i)] Mitosis — Males are haploid and produce sperm by mitosis.
• [(ii)] n — Since males are haploid, their gametes have n chromosomes.
• [(iii)] 2n — Fertilized eggs (diploid) form female progeny with 2n chromosomes.

Step 3 (c): Unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males (drones) with n chromosomes. The sex will be male.