Chapter 10, Problem 11A

Summary Introduction

To hypothesize:

Gamete production in male bees

Introduction:

Reproductive cells which pass on genetic traits from the parent to child are produced by the process of meiosis. In order to maintain the same number of chromosomes in each generation, an organism produces gametes. Gametes are sex cells and have half the number of chromosomes.

Answer to Problem 11A

The male bees produce gametes through mitosis and not meiosis.

Explanation of Solution

When a male gamete fuses with a female gamete, the process is called fertilization. In bees, the female queen bee is diploid but male bee is haploid. The fertilized eggs develop into female bees and the unfertilized eggs develop into male bee. Since the queen bee is diploid it will produce a haploid gamete through meiosis. The male bee is haploid so it will not undergo meiosis to produce male gamete. It will simply undergo normal cell division or mitosis to produce haploid male gametes.

If the female gamete is fertilized by the male gamete, a diploid zygote is formed which will develop into female bee. If the female egg is not fertilized, the haploid female egg will develop into a male bee.