Question

Honey bees are pollinators. Identify the type of symbiotic relationship that exists between honey bees and flowering plants, and explain why your reasoning.

a. This is commensalism because bees help plants pollinate and, in turn, obtain nectar from the plants.
b. This is a mutualistic relationship, because bees obtain nectar from the plants, but do not provide any benefits to the plants.
c. This is commensalism, because bees obtain nectar from the plants, but do not provide any benefits to the plants.
d. This is a mutualistic relationship, because bees help plants pollinate and, in turn, obtain nectar from the plants.

Answer 1

Honey bees and flowering plants have a mutualistic relationship, as both species benefit. The correct answer is option d.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of symbiotic relationship that exists between honey bees and flowering plants is a mutualistic relationship. In this interaction, both parties gain significant benefits. Honey bees visit flowers to collect nectar, which they use as food. At the same time, as bees move from flower to flower, they unintentionally transfer pollen, thereby aiding in the plant's reproductive process.

This pollination is crucial for the flowering plant's life cycle, as it enables the production of seeds and, consequently, the perpetuation of the plant's species. In a mutualistic relationship, unlike commensalism, both species involved receive benefits.

In the case of honey bees and flowering plants, this is clearly observed: the honey bee gets the nourishment it needs from the nectar, and the flowering plants receive the needed service of pollination. This is fundamentally different from commensalism, where one organism benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.