Question

Which one of the following organisms produces the female gamete by mitosis of haploid cells?

• A. Garden pea
• B. Honey bee
• C. Fruit fly
• D. Chicken

Hint:

In all plants (mosses, ferns, angiosperms), gametes are always produced by mitosis because they arise from a haploid gametophyte.
In contrast, animals always produce gametes by meiosis from diploid cells.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In most diploid organisms, gametes (haploid cells) are produced from diploid germ cells via meiosis. However, if an organism is already haploid, it cannot undergo meiosis to reduce chromosome numbers further; it must produce gametes via mitosis.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us look at the sex-determination and reproductive mechanisms of the given organisms:
- Garden pea, Fruit fly, and Chicken: These are typical diploid organisms. Their female gametes (eggs) are produced through meiosis of diploid cells.
- Honey bee: Honey bees display a unique haplodiploid sex-determination system. In this system, male honey bees (drones) are entirely haploid (\( n \)) because they develop from unfertilized eggs via parthenogenesis. Conversely, female honey bees (workers and queens) are diploid (\( 2n \)) developed from fertilized eggs.
- However, when looking closely at how specific bees produce gametes, a male honey bee (drone), being fully haploid, must produce its male gametes (sperm) purely through mitosis.
- Correction note on alternative interpretation: If a question focuses on a haploid social insect lineage or parthenogenesis context where haploid individuals give rise to gametes, the male honey bee is the classic textbook example of gamete production via mitosis. In some specific strains or exceptional modes, unfertilized haploid females or worker bees can lay eggs. Given the standard options, the Honey bee stands out as the unique organism involving haploid cell lines for gametogenesis.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The organism associated with gamete production from haploid cells via mitosis is the Honey bee.