Which of the following statements are true with reference to the sex-determination in honeybees? A. An offspring formed from the union of a sperm and an egg, develops as a female (queen or worker). B. An unfertilized egg develops as a male by parthenogenesis. C. A male has half the number of chromosomes than that of a female. D. Males produce sperms by meiosis. E. Honeybees have a haplodiploid sex-determination system. Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
- A.A, B, C and E only✓
- B.B, C, D and E only
- C.A, B, C and D only
- D.A, B, D and E only
Correct Answer
(A) A, B, C and E only
Solution & Explanation
Answer: (A) A, B, C and E only Solution: In honeybees an offspring from the union of a sperm and egg develops as a diploid female (queen or worker) (A), an unfertilised egg develops into a haploid male by parthenogenesis (B), the male has half the chromosome number of the female (16 vs 32) (C), and this is a haplodiploid sex-determination system (E). Statement D is false because haploid males produce sperms by mitosis, not meiosis. Hence A, B, C and E only are correct. NCERT Reference: NCERT Class XII, Ch 4, p.71, lines 33-44: "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 ... The females are diploid having 32 chromosomes and males are haploid, i.e., having 16 chromosomes. This is called as haplodiploid sex-determination system ... the males produce sperms by mitosis"
