Question

Draw a flowchart for sex determination in honeybees.

Hint:

Males have no father and cannot have sons, but they have a grandfather.

Answer 1

Flowchart for Sex Determination in Honeybees

Step 1: Queen lays eggs
The queen honeybee lays eggs inside the cells of the honeycomb.

Step 2: Check whether fertilization occurs
Two possibilities occur depending on whether the egg is fertilized by sperm or not.

Flowchart:

Queen Honeybee lays eggs
↓
Egg
↓
Is the egg fertilized?
↓
Yes (Fertilized egg) → Diploid (2n)
↓
Develops into Female honeybee
↓
Can become Worker bee or Queen bee

No (Unfertilized egg) → Haploid (n)
↓
Develops into Male honeybee (Drone)

Explanation:
Honeybees show a special type of sex determination called haplodiploidy. Fertilized eggs are diploid and develop into females (workers or queens), while unfertilized eggs are haploid and develop into males (drones).