How drones are produced in honey bees?

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Drones**: Drones are male honey bees that are haploid, meaning they have only one set of chromosomes. This is a key characteristic that distinguishes them from female bees (workers and queens), which are diploid and have two sets of chromosomes.

2. **Parthenogenesis**: The process by which drones are produced is called parthenogenesis. This is a form of asexual reproduction where an egg develops into an individual without fertilization. In honey bees, this means that drones develop from unfertilized eggs.

3. **Production of Unfertilized Eggs**: In a honey bee colony, the queen bee lays eggs. Some of these eggs are fertilized, which will develop into female bees (workers or queens), while others remain unfertilized, leading to the development of drones.

4. **Haploid Nature of Drones**: Since drones arise from unfertilized eggs, they are haploid. This means they inherit all their genetic material from the mother (the queen) and do not receive any genetic contribution from a male.

5. **Role of the Queen**: The queen bee plays a crucial role in determining the sex of the offspring. She has the ability to fertilize eggs or leave them unfertilized. The fertilized eggs develop into diploid females, while the unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males (drones).

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the production of drones in honey bees is a result of parthenogenesis, where unfertilized eggs develop into haploid male bees.