Reproduction and Brood Development - How are different kinds of bees created?

Summary

Bees' creation involves a complex process where queen bees lay diploid or haploid eggs, determining the sex and role of the offspring. Drones mate with the queen to fertilize eggs, resulting in female bees. Larvae fed worker jelly become workers, while queen jelly results in queens. The queen's spermatheca stores sperm for egg fertilization, and the caste of a bee is influenced by diet and hormones, with a 21-day development cycle from egg to adult.

Takeaways

• 🐝 Queen bees have a specialized reproductive system that allows them to lay diploid or haploid eggs.
• 🍯 Worker bees play a crucial role in determining the caste of the bee by feeding them either worker jelly or queen jelly.
• 🌞 Drones gather at a specific location for the queen to mate, aiming to minimize inbreeding.
• 🐝 The queen bee stores sperm in a spermatheca, which she uses to fertilize eggs throughout the season.
• 🌟 Honeybee sex determination is based on fertilization status, with fertilized eggs becoming females and unfertilized eggs becoming males.
• 👑 A diploid egg can develop into either a worker bee or a queen bee, depending on the type of jelly it is fed.
• 🏰 Worker bees make the decision to create a new queen when the hive needs to swarm and establish a new colony.
• 🕒 It takes approximately 21 days for an egg to develop into an adult bee, including stages of larval growth and pupation.
• 🍲 The larvae's diet is closely monitored by worker bees, who provide food every 15 minutes and adjust the quantity based on the larvae's needs.
• 🧠 The corpus allatum in the bee's head acts as a primitive brain, controlling growth through the release of juvenile hormones.

Q & A

How does the queen bee's reproductive system allow her to make choices about the type of eggs she lays?

The queen bee's specialized reproductive system enables her to decide whether to lay diploid or haploid eggs. She can choose to release sperm from her spermatheca to fertilize an egg, resulting in a female (diploid), or not release sperm, resulting in a male (haploid).

What role do worker bees play in determining the caste of a bee?

Worker bees are responsible for feeding the larvae. They decide whether to feed a larva worker jelly or queen jelly, which determines whether the bee will develop into a worker or a queen.

Why do drones gather at a specific location in the sky, and how does the queen bee mate?

Drones gather at a specific location, typically 60 to 70 feet high, to mate with the queen bee. The queen will mate with 15 to 25 different drones to minimize inbreeding and gather a large quantity of sperm for later use.

How does the queen bee store sperm for future use?

Queen bees have a spermatheca on their side where they store thousands of sperm for later use when they lay fertilized eggs.

What is the significance of the number of eggs a queen bee lays in spring and summer?

The queen bee lays about 2,000 eggs during spring and summer, which is significant for the growth and population of the hive.

How is the sex of a honeybee determined?

In honeybees, sex is determined by the fertilization or non-fertilization of eggs. Unfertilized eggs become males (drones), while fertilized eggs become females.

What is the difference between a haploid and a diploid egg in bees?

A haploid egg is an unfertilized egg that develops into a male (drone) and contains only one set of chromosomes. A diploid egg is a fertilized egg that can develop into either a worker or a queen bee and contains two sets of chromosomes.

How do worker bees decide to create a new queen?

Worker bees decide to create a new queen when their hive has too many workers and they need to swarm to a new hive. They feed a larva queen jelly, which is richer in nutrients than worker jelly.

What is the developmental process of a bee from egg to adult?

An egg hatches into a larva after about three days, the larva grows and feeds for five days, and then it becomes a pupae for 13 days. The entire process from egg to adult takes about 21 days.

How do worker bees ensure the larvae receive enough food during their development?

Worker bees check on the larvae every 15 minutes to see if they need more food. They produce an excess of jelly and feed it directly onto the larvae's head.

What are the main structures in the head of a bee larva that contribute to its growth?

The corpus allatum in the head of a bee larva acts as a primitive brain, sending out juvenile hormones into the bloodstream, which cause growth.

Outlines

00:00

🐝 Bee Reproduction and Development

The script explains the intricate process of bee reproduction and development. Queen bees possess the ability to decide whether to lay diploid or haploid eggs, influenced by the type of jelly fed to the larvae by worker bees. Drones from different hives mate with the queen at a specific aerial location to ensure genetic diversity. The queen stores sperm in a spermatheca and lays about 2,000 eggs during spring and summer. The fertilization status of the eggs determines the sex of the bee, with fertilized eggs becoming females and unfertilized eggs becoming males. Worker bees decide the fate of a larva by feeding it either worker jelly, resulting in a worker bee, or queen jelly, leading to a queen bee. The queen larvae consume significantly more jelly than others. The script also covers the 21-day development cycle of a bee, detailing the stages from egg to larva to pupae and finally to an adult bee, including the physiological changes and the role of hormones in growth and development.

Keywords

💡Reproductive system

The reproductive system in bees, particularly in queen bees, is a specialized biological structure that enables them to lay different types of eggs. In the context of the video, the queen's reproductive system is crucial as it allows her to make choices regarding the type of eggs to lay, which is either diploid or haploid. This system plays a central role in determining the sex and role of the bee within the hive, as explained when discussing how queen bees lay eggs that can develop into either drones or female bees.

💡Diploid

Diploid refers to cells or organisms that have two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. In the video, it is mentioned that a fertilized egg will become a female bee, which is diploid because it has two sets of chromosomes. This is a key concept in understanding bee genetics and development, as it differentiates the genetic makeup of female bees from that of male bees, which are haploid.

💡Haploid

Haploid describes cells or organisms that have a single set of chromosomes. In the video, it is explained that unfertilized eggs become male or drone bees, which are haploid because they only have one set of chromosomes. This term is essential for understanding the unique genetic determination of sex in honeybees, where the absence of fertilization leads to the development of males.

💡Mating flight

The mating flight is a behavior where the queen bee leaves the hive to mate with drones from other hives. The video describes this event as occurring on a sunny day at a specific height, with the queen mating with 15 to 25 different drones to minimize inbreeding. This behavior is critical for genetic diversity within bee populations and the health of the hive.

💡Spermatheca

The spermatheca is an organ in queen bees where they store sperm for later use in fertilizing eggs. The video explains that queen bees have a spermatheca on their side where they can store thousands of sperm, which is used throughout the spring and summer when they lay about 2,000 eggs. This organ is vital for the queen's reproductive capabilities and the continuation of the hive.

💡Fertilization

Fertilization is the process by which sperm combines with an egg to form a zygote. In the context of the video, fertilization determines the sex of the bee offspring. If the queen releases sperm from the spermatheca and it combines with an egg, the resulting fertilized egg will become a female bee. This process is fundamental to the development of female bees within the hive.

💡Non-fertilization

Non-fertilization is the lack of sperm combining with an egg. The video describes how, if no sperm is released, the egg will remain unfertilized and develop into a male or drone bee. This concept is important for understanding the genetic determination of sex in honeybees, where the presence or absence of fertilization dictates the sex of the offspring.

💡Worker jelly

Worker jelly is a type of food produced by worker bees that is fed to the larvae. The video explains that feeding a diploid egg larvae with worker jelly will result in the development of a worker bee. This type of jelly is a key factor in determining the caste of the bee, as it influences the developmental path of the larvae.

💡Queen jelly

Queen jelly, also known as royal jelly, is a thicker and denser food produced by worker bees that is fed to queen larvae. The video states that queen jelly, rich in sugar, will turn a diploid egg larvae into a queen bee. This substance is crucial for the development of queen bees and is a significant factor in the caste determination within the hive.

💡Corpus allatum

The corpus allatum is a small structure in the head of bee larvae that acts as a primitive brain. As mentioned in the video, it receives impulses from receptors along the gut and responds by releasing juvenile hormones into the bloodstream, which stimulate growth. This gland is important for the development and growth of bee larvae, particularly in the context of determining whether a larvae will become a worker or a queen.

💡Pupa

A pupa is the stage in the development of a bee after it has hatched from the egg and grown as a larva. The video describes how, after five days of feeding, the larvae is capped in its chamber and becomes a pupa for the remaining 13 days before emerging as an adult bee. The pupal stage is a critical period of transformation and development within the bee's life cycle.

Highlights

Queen bees have a specialized reproductive system that allows them to lay diploid or haploid eggs.

Worker bees play a role in determining the caste of larvae by feeding them worker jelly or queen jelly.

Drones gather at specific locations for mating flights, aiming to minimize inbreeding.

Queen bees mate with multiple drones to gather a large quantity of sperm for storage in their spermatheca.

The queen bee's decision to release sperm determines the sex of the offspring in honeybees.

Unfertilized eggs become males (drones) with haploid chromosome sets.

Fertilized eggs become females, which can develop into either workers or queens based on nutrition.

The type of jelly fed to larvae by worker bees determines whether they become workers or queens.

Queen larvae consume significantly more jelly than other larvae due to their developmental needs.

Worker bees decide to create queens when the hive has a surplus of workers and needs to swarm.

The development from egg to bee takes approximately 21 days, including hatching, larval growth, and pupation.

Eggs are laid in a specific orientation within the chamber, and larvae consume food provided by workers.

The larval digestive system is simple, consisting of a mouth, digestive tract, and rectum.

The corpus allatum in the larvae's head acts as a primitive brain, controlling growth through hormone release.

In fully developed bees, the internal organs include a nervous system, a complex digestive system, and blood vessels.

The nature of hormone release and gene development in queen larvae is complex and not covered in this class.

Transcripts

How are different kinds of bees created?

Queen bees have a specialized reproductive  system which lets them make some choices in  

the sort of eggs that are laid, diploid  or haploid, but some final choices are  

also made by the worker bees who feed the  emerging larvae, worker jelly or queen jelly.

On a sunny day, drones from various hives will  gather and hover around a specific location  

about 60 to 70 feet high in the sky. The  queen will arrive and mate with 15 to 25  

different drones. The goal of so much  interaction is to minimize the amount  

of mates from her own hive. Hopefully, 14  of 15 mates will be from the other hives.  

Another goal of this mating session is  to gather a large quantity of sperm.

Queen bees have a spermatheca on their side where  they store thousands of sperm for later use.  

She will go on to lay about 2,000 eggs in spring  and summer. The queen decides whether or not to  

release sperm from the spermatheca organ, where  she releases an oocyte from her own ovaries.  

In honeybees, sex is determined by the  fertilization or non-fertilization of eggs  

rather than the presence of sex chromosomes. If  no sperm is released, the unfertilized egg will  

become a male or drone. This is called a haploid  egg because it only has one set of chromosomes.  

If sperm is introduced, the  fertilized egg will become a female.  

This is a diploid egg because  it has two sets of chromosomes.  

A diploid egg can go on to become either a worker  bee or a queen, depending on what it is fed.

A queen doesn't feed her own  offspring. She just lays eggs.  

Workers handle all the feeding in the hive,  including feeding the queen. Each worker bee  

has glands in their head which can produce two  kinds of creamy white food or jelly. Worker jelly  

will turn a diploid egg larvae into a worker bee,  while the thicker and denser queen jelly, which  

is rich in sugar, would turn that same larvae into  a queen bee. A queen larvae will consume 15 to 20  

times more jelly than the other larvae. The  worker bee makes this decision to create queens  

when their hive has too many workers and they  need to swarm to a new hive with the old queen.

It takes about 21 days for an egg to grow into  a full bee. The egg will hatch about three days  

after being laid. At this point, the outer  layer basically melts off and becomes food.  

For five days, the emergent larvae will  grow and feed. Workers will check the  

larvae every 15 minutes to see if they need  more food. The larvae tends to eat in spurts,  

so the worker will produce an excess of jelly  directly onto their head close to their mouth.  

Then, the chamber will be capped and the larvae  becomes a pupae for the remaining 13 days.  

Eggs are laid in the center of the chamber and  point straight out away from the chamber floor.

The larvae's digestive system is simpler than the  final bee, basically consisting of just a mouth,  

digestive tract, or stomach, and rectum. Two  small structures in the head, the corpus allatum,  

act as a primitive brain, receiving impulses from  receptors along stretched portions of the gut  

and respond by sending out juvenile  hormones into the bloodstream,  

which will cause growth. Queen-specific hormones  may also be released in a developing queen larvae,  

but the nature of hormone release and gene  development is beyond the scope of this class.

In a fully developed bee, the internal  organs will look more like this,  

with a nervous system running along the bottom, a  more complicated digestive system directly above,  

and the rest filled mostly with blood vessels.