Question

I am learning about Drone bees and I keep reading that they are born from unfertilized eggs. Now here is my question: if eggs are gametes and therefore reproductive cells, how can they turn into a new living being without being fertilized? If that is possible, then it would mean that the gamete is already a living being/bee from the moment of its creation. What am I missing? Is there some activation process that substitutes fertilization in the case of bees?

Answer 1

Drone bees are born from unfertilized eggs through the process of parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis allows the egg to develop into a new organism without fertilization.

Step-by-step explanation:

Drone bees are indeed born from unfertilized eggs through a process called parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis occurs when an egg develops into a new organism without being fertilized. In the case of bees, unfertilized eggs develop into male drones, while fertilized eggs develop into female workers.

Unlike gametes, which are reproductive cells, the unfertilized egg is not a living being from the moment of its creation. It is only through the process of parthenogenesis that the unfertilized egg can develop into a new living being. Parthenogenesis is a natural method of reproduction used by certain organisms, including honeybees.