Science & Technology · Chapter 03

44 solved questions

Chapter 3: Honey Bee

Every question in this chapter, answered and explained — step-by-step solutions drawn live from the chapter library across 7 question sections.

Very Short Answer Questions17 Short Answer Questions9 Give Reason Questions6 Differentiate Between3 Long Answer Questions2 Diagram-Based Questions3 Application / Conceptual Questions4

Very Short Answer Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q0

Which phylum does the honey bee belong to?

Ans.Honey bee belongs to phylum Arthropoda.

2SEE Boardqb-q1

Name the three types of bees found in a hive.

Ans.Queen bee, worker bee and drone (male bee).

3SEE Boardqb-q2

How many chromosomes does a drone have?

Ans.A drone has 16 chromosomes (haploid).

4SEE Boardqb-q3

How many chromosomes do the queen and worker bees have?

Ans.The queen and worker bees have 32 chromosomes (diploid).

5SEE Boardqb-q4

What is the process by which drones develop from unfertilized eggs called?

Ans.Parthenogenesis.

6SEE Boardqb-q5

What is the main function of the queen bee?

Ans.To lay eggs and control the activities of the hive.

7SEE Boardqb-q6

What is the main function of the drone bee?

Ans.To fertilize the queen bee.

8SEE Boardqb-q7

Name the four stages of the life cycle of a honey bee.

Ans.Egg, larva, pupa and adult.

9SEE Boardqb-q8

What is the duration of the egg stage in honey bees?

Ans.Three days for all types of bees.

10SEE Boardqb-q9

What is fed to all larvae for the first three days?

Ans.Royal jelly.

11SEE Boardqb-q10

What is beebread?

Ans.A mixture of honey and pollen fed to larvae of future workers and drones after three days.

12SEE Boardqb-q11

What is the commercial rearing of bees called?

Ans.Apiculture.

13SEE Boardqb-q12

What is the scientific study of bees called?

Ans.Melittology or apicology.

14SEE Boardqb-q13

Where does the queen bee store sperm received from drones?

Ans.In structures called spermathecae.

15SEE Boardqb-q14

What is the total time taken for a queen bee to develop from egg to adult?

Ans.16 days.

16SEE Boardqb-q15

What is the total time taken for a worker bee to develop from egg to adult?

Ans.21 days.

17SEE Boardqb-q16

What chemical substance does the queen bee use to attract drones and communicate?

Ans.Pheromone.

Short Answer Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q17

Describe the external body structure of a honey bee.

Ans.The body of a honey bee, generally 9-20 mm long, is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. The head bears a pair of compound eyes, a pair of antennae and mouth parts. The thorax has three segments, each with a pair of jointed legs, and the first two segments bear a pair of wings each. The abdomen has 9 segments, though only 6 are prominent in females and 7 in males.

2SEE Boardqb-q18

Describe the structure and function of the queen bee.

Ans.The queen bee is the largest and most elongated bee in the hive, with a short proboscis and a sting at the end of the abdomen. Generally only one queen is present in a hive; her main function is to lay eggs and control hive activities. She produces pheromone to attract drones and for communication, and lives the longest, about 2-5 years.

3SEE Boardqb-q19

Why is the drone bee considered the laziest bee in the hive?

Ans.The drone does not collect nectar or pollen, does not build the hive, and does not have a sting, pollen basket or wax glands. It is fed by worker bees and its only function is to fertilize the queen, so it is considered the laziest bee in the hive.

4SEE Boardqb-q20

List the main functions of the worker bee.

Ans.Worker bees collect nectar and pollen, construct and repair the hive, feed and nurse the larvae, produce royal jelly and wax, and protect the hive using their sting.

5SEE Boardqb-q21

Explain complete metamorphosis in the life cycle of a honey bee.

Ans.During the larval and pupal stages, two events occur: histolysis (degeneration of old tissues) and histogenesis (formation of new tissues). Because of these events, the egg transforms into a larva, the larva into a pupa, and the pupa into an adult. This complete transformation through four distinct stages is called complete metamorphosis.

6SEE Boardqb-q22

How does the type of food determine whether a larva becomes a queen or a worker bee?

Ans.Both queen and worker bees develop from fertilized eggs and are fed royal jelly for the first three days. After that, larvae that will become queens continuously feed on nutritious royal jelly, while larvae of future workers feed on beebread (a mixture of honey and pollen), which determines their development into a queen or a worker.

7SEE Boardqb-q23

Describe the nuptial flight of the queen bee.

Ans.When a newly developed queen becomes adult, she leaves the hive for the nuptial (mating) flight, usually in the evening. A group of drones follow her, and she mates with many of them during the flight. After mating, the drones die because their genital organs are forcibly pulled out.

8SEE Boardqb-q24

Explain how division of labour occurs among worker bees according to age.

Ans.A newly emerged worker bee first cleans the hive and keeps the brood warm (1-3 days), then feeds beebread to larvae (4-6 days). Between 7-11 days, its royal gland develops to produce royal jelly; between 12-17 days, wax glands develop for building the honeycomb. Between 18-20 days, sting glands develop for defence, and after 21 days it starts working outside the hive collecting nectar, pollen and water.

9SEE Boardqb-q25

What is honey made of, and how is it produced?

Ans.Honey is a combination of monosaccharide sugars, especially fructose and glucose. It is prepared by evaporating as much water as possible from a mixture of flower nectar collected by worker bees, with the help of natural wind and the wind created by bees flapping their wings. Honey contains about 80-85% carbohydrates, 15-17% water, and small amounts of protein, amino acids and vitamins.

Give Reason Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q26

Honey bee is called a social insect.

Ans.Honey bees live together in large colonies inside a hive with a clear division of labour among the queen, workers and drones, and they cooperate, communicate through pheromones, and work together for the survival of the colony, which is why they are called social insects.

2SEE Boardqb-q27

Pasture land is required for bee farming.

Ans.Bees need to collect nectar and pollen from flowering plants to produce honey, beebread and royal jelly, and to carry out pollination. A sufficient area of flowering plants (pasture land) near the hive ensures a regular food supply for the colony and good honey production.

3SEE Boardqb-q28

Drone dies after mating.

Ans.During mating, the drone's genital organs are forcibly pulled out and remain inside the queen's body, which causes the drone to die shortly after mating.

4SEE Boardqb-q29

Bees are multipurpose insects.

Ans.Bees not only produce nutritious honey but also help in pollination of crops, produce beeswax used in cosmetics and candles, and produce royal jelly, which is used in medicine. Their farming (apiculture) also generates income for farmers, making them useful in multiple ways.

5SEE Boardqb-q30

Only one queen is generally found in a hive.

Ans.The queen controls the activities of the entire hive through pheromones and is the only bee that lays eggs for the colony; having more than one queen would create competition and conflict for control of the colony, so the hive normally maintains only one queen at a time.

6SEE Boardqb-q31

Worker bees form a new queen only when required.

Ans.Worker bees form a new queen by feeding a larva developed from a fertilized egg continuously with royal jelly, usually when the old queen dies, becomes weak, or when the colony grows too large and needs to split, ensuring the survival and continuity of the colony.

Differentiate Between

1SEE Boardqb-q32

Differentiate: Drone and Worker Bee

Drone Bee	Worker Bee
Haploid, with 16 chromosomes.	Diploid, with 32 chromosomes.
Develops from an unfertilized egg (parthenogenesis).	Develops from a fertilized egg.
No sting, pollen basket or wax glands.	Has sting, pollen basket and wax glands.
Function is to fertilize the queen bee.	Functions include collecting food, building the hive, feeding larvae and protecting the hive.
Life span about 2 months.	Life span about 6 weeks to 6 months.

2SEE Boardqb-q33

Differentiate: Queen Bee and Worker Bee

Queen Bee	Worker Bee
Largest sized bee in the hive.	Smallest sized bee in the hive.
Generally only one in a hive.	20,000-80,000 present in a hive.
Main function is to lay eggs and control hive activities.	Main functions are collecting food, building the hive, feeding larvae and protecting the hive.
Lives about 2-5 years.	Lives about 6 weeks to 6 months.

3SEE Boardqb-q34

Differentiate: Queen Bee and Drone

Queen Bee	Drone
Diploid, with 32 chromosomes.	Haploid, with 16 chromosomes.
Develops from a fertilized egg.	Develops from an unfertilized egg (parthenogenesis).
Has a sting.	Does not have a sting.
Function is to lay eggs and control the hive.	Function is to fertilize the queen bee.
Lives the longest, about 2-5 years.	Lives only about 2 months and dies after mating.

Long Answer Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q35

Explain the life cycle of the honey bee with reference to its four stages.

Ans.The life cycle of a honey bee consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult, and takes place through complete metamorphosis. (1) Egg: white, elongated eggs are laid by the queen in different cells (drone, queen or worker cells); the egg stage lasts three days for all bees. (2) Larva: after hatching, the larva feeds actively; it is fed royal jelly for the first three days, after which future queens continue on royal jelly while future workers and drones switch to beebread; the larval stage lasts about 5.5 days for queens, 6 days for workers and 7 days for drones. (3) Pupa: an inactive stage in which the bee does not feed or move, but legs, wings and mouthparts develop internally through histolysis and histogenesis; this stage lasts 8, 12 and 14 days for queen, worker and drone respectively. (4) Adult: the fully developed bee chews through the wax cap of the brood cell and emerges; worker bees immediately begin helping with hive duties. In total, development from egg to adult takes about 16 days for a queen, 21 days for a worker, and 24 days for a drone.

2SEE Boardqb-q36

Describe the structure and functions of queen bee, drone and worker bee, and explain how they work together in a hive.

Ans.A hive contains three types of bees. The queen bee is the largest bee, generally only one per hive; she lays eggs and controls hive activities through pheromones and lives 2-5 years. The drone is smaller than the queen but larger and hairier than the worker; it is haploid with 16 chromosomes, develops from an unfertilized egg by parthenogenesis, has no sting or pollen basket, and its only function is to fertilize the queen, after which it dies. The worker bee is the smallest bee, diploid like the queen, and performs almost all the practical work of the hive - collecting nectar and pollen, building the honeycomb, feeding larvae, producing royal jelly and wax, and defending the hive with its sting; its tasks change with age. Together, this division of labour among the queen (reproduction and control), drone (fertilization) and worker (all other hive functions) allows the colony to survive, grow and produce honey efficiently.

Diagram-Based Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q37

Draw and label a diagram showing the life cycle of the honey bee.

Ans.Draw four connected stages in a cycle: Adult -> Egg -> Larva -> Pupa -> back to Adult, connected with arrows in sequence. Label each stage and indicate that the transformation from egg to adult is called complete metamorphosis, involving histolysis and histogenesis in the larval and pupal stages.

2SEE Boardqb-q38

Which stage of the bee is shown in a diagram of a bee inside a brood cell with three pairs of legs, wings and mouthparts developing but the animal not feeding or moving?

Ans.This represents the pupa stage - an inactive phase in which the bee does not feed or move, but its legs, wings and mouthparts are developing internally.

3SEE Boardqb-q39

Complete a concept map: 'bee' branches into 'Parthenogenesis' and 'Fertilization'; 'Fertilization' branches into 'Fertile' and one more box; complete the missing boxes.

Ans.'Parthenogenesis' branches to 'Drone' (since drones develop from unfertilized eggs by parthenogenesis). 'Fertilization' branches to 'Fertile' leading to 'Queen bee' and to another box 'Worker bee' (since both queen and worker bees develop from fertilized eggs).

Application / Conceptual Questions

1SEE Boardqb-q40

If the queen bee dies for some reason, who will control the hive?

Ans.If the queen dies, the worker bees quickly select a young larva developed from a fertilized egg and feed it continuously with royal jelly so that it develops into a new queen. Until the new queen becomes capable of laying eggs and controlling the hive, the colony may face temporary disruption, but the worker bees manage the day-to-day hive activities in the meantime.

2SEE Boardqb-q41

How does the queen bee control other members of the hive?

Ans.The queen bee produces a special scented chemical called pheromone from her body. This pheromone is spread throughout the hive and is used to communicate with other bees, suppress the development of rival queens, and coordinate and regulate the activities of the colony, effectively allowing her to control the other members of the hive.

3SEE Boardqb-q42

When a farmer practises bee farming, the income of other farmers in that locality also increases. Justify your reason.

Ans.While collecting nectar from flowers, honey bees carry out pollination of nearby crops and plants. This improves the fertilization and yield of crops grown by other farmers in the same locality, even if those farmers do not keep bees themselves, leading to better harvests and increased income for them as well.

4SEE Boardqb-q43

Due to the problem of pasture land in a beekeeping area, beekeepers shifted the bees away from there. After that, there was a reduction in the yield of mustard crops of nearby farmers. Based on this, explain the relationship between beekeeping and agricultural production.

Ans.Honey bees play an important role in pollinating crops such as mustard while collecting nectar from their flowers. When the beekeepers shifted the bees away due to lack of pasture land, the mustard flowers in that area received much less pollination, which directly reduced fruit/seed formation and lowered crop yield. This shows that beekeeping and agricultural production are closely linked - the presence of honey bees near farmland improves pollination and crop yield, and their absence can significantly reduce agricultural output.

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