NEETZoologyPrinciples of Inheritance and Variation
What type of egg develops into a male honey bee?
Options
- AA fertilized egg
- BAn unfertilized egg
- CAn egg with a Y-chromosome
- DAn egg with a double set of chromosomes
Correct answer
B. An unfertilized egg
Step-by-step solution
The sex determination in honey is based on the number of sets of chromosomes an individual receives. An offspring formed from the union of a sperm and an egg develops as a female (queen or worker), and an unfertilised egg develops as a male (drone) by means of parthenogenesis. This means that the males have half the number of chromosomes than that of a female. The females are diploid having 32 chromosomes and males are haploid, i.e., having 16 chromosomes. This is called sex-determination system and has special cha