Unfertilized bee eggs become male because bees have a haplodiploid sex determination system. This means that males develop from unfertilized eggs and have only one set of chromosomes, while females develop from fertilized eggs and have two sets of chromosomes.
Here's a breakdown of how this system works:
- Female bees (queens and workers) have two sets of chromosomes, one from their mother and one from their father.
- Male bees (drones) have only one set of chromosomes, which they receive from their mother.
This unique system leads to some interesting consequences:
- Males are genetically related to their mother only. They do not have a father.
- Sisters are more closely related to each other than they are to their brothers. This is because they share all of their mother's genes, while brothers only share half of their mother's genes.
This haplodiploid system plays a crucial role in the social organization of bee colonies. It helps to ensure that workers are closely related to the queen, promoting cooperation and altruistic behavior.
