Design experiments to test the hypothesis that electric eels are both electrogenic and electroreceptive.
Table of contents
- 1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
- 2. Chemistry3h 37m
- 3. Water1h 26m
- 4. Biomolecules2h 23m
- 5. Cell Components2h 26m
- 6. The Membrane2h 31m
- 7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
- 8. Respiration2h 40m
- 9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
- 10. Cell Signaling59m
- 11. Cell Division2h 47m
- 12. Meiosis2h 0m
- 13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
- Introduction to Mendel's Experiments7m
- Genotype vs. Phenotype17m
- Punnett Squares13m
- Mendel's Experiments26m
- Mendel's Laws18m
- Monohybrid Crosses19m
- Test Crosses14m
- Dihybrid Crosses20m
- Punnett Square Probability26m
- Incomplete Dominance vs. Codominance20m
- Epistasis7m
- Non-Mendelian Genetics12m
- Pedigrees6m
- Autosomal Inheritance21m
- Sex-Linked Inheritance43m
- X-Inactivation9m
- 14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
- 15. Gene Expression3h 6m
- 16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
- Introduction to Regulation of Gene Expression13m
- Prokaryotic Gene Regulation via Operons27m
- The Lac Operon21m
- Glucose's Impact on Lac Operon25m
- The Trp Operon20m
- Review of the Lac Operon & Trp Operon11m
- Introduction to Eukaryotic Gene Regulation9m
- Eukaryotic Chromatin Modifications16m
- Eukaryotic Transcriptional Control22m
- Eukaryotic Post-Transcriptional Regulation28m
- Eukaryotic Post-Translational Regulation13m
- 17. Viruses37m
- 18. Biotechnology2h 58m
- 19. Genomics17m
- 20. Development1h 5m
- 21. Evolution3h 1m
- 22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
- 23. Speciation1h 37m
- 24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
- 25. Phylogeny2h 31m
- 26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
- 27. Protists1h 12m
- 28. Plants1h 22m
- 29. Fungi36m
- 30. Overview of Animals34m
- 31. Invertebrates1h 2m
- 32. Vertebrates50m
- 33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
- 34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- 35. Soil37m
- 36. Plant Reproduction47m
- 37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
- 38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
- 39. Digestive System1h 10m
- 40. Circulatory System1h 49m
- 41. Immune System1h 12m
- 42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- 43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- 44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- 45. Nervous System1h 55m
- 46. Sensory Systems46m
- 47. Muscle Systems23m
- 48. Ecology3h 11m
- Introduction to Ecology20m
- Biogeography14m
- Earth's Climate Patterns50m
- Introduction to Terrestrial Biomes10m
- Terrestrial Biomes: Near Equator13m
- Terrestrial Biomes: Temperate Regions10m
- Terrestrial Biomes: Northern Regions15m
- Introduction to Aquatic Biomes27m
- Freshwater Aquatic Biomes14m
- Marine Aquatic Biomes13m
- 49. Animal Behavior28m
- 50. Population Ecology3h 41m
- Introduction to Population Ecology28m
- Population Sampling Methods23m
- Life History12m
- Population Demography17m
- Factors Limiting Population Growth14m
- Introduction to Population Growth Models22m
- Linear Population Growth6m
- Exponential Population Growth29m
- Logistic Population Growth32m
- r/K Selection10m
- The Human Population22m
- 51. Community Ecology2h 46m
- Introduction to Community Ecology2m
- Introduction to Community Interactions9m
- Community Interactions: Competition (-/-)38m
- Community Interactions: Exploitation (+/-)23m
- Community Interactions: Mutualism (+/+) & Commensalism (+/0)9m
- Community Structure35m
- Community Dynamics26m
- Geographic Impact on Communities21m
- 52. Ecosystems2h 36m
- 53. Conservation Biology24m
46. Sensory Systems
Sensory System
Problem 12b
Textbook Question
Honeybees live in social groups consisting of a queen, up to several hundred male drones, and thousands of infertile female workers. The drones mate with the queen only, and the workers protect the hive, forage, and feed and groom the queen. The health of the hive depends on the female workers performing these duties instead of reproducing.
What roles do pheromones play in maintaining a functional beehive?
Honeybees produce an alarm pheromone when their hive is molested. This pheromone stimulates the bees to protect the hive. If you were to count the number of alarm pheromone receptors in honeybee tissues, which type of bee would likely have the most—a queen, a drone, or a worker? Why?

1
Understand the roles of different types of bees in the hive: Queens are responsible for reproduction, drones mate with the queen, and workers perform tasks like foraging and protecting the hive.
Recognize the importance of pheromones in honeybee communication: Pheromones are chemical signals that influence the behavior and physiology of other bees in the hive.
Identify the function of alarm pheromones: Alarm pheromones are released when the hive is threatened, prompting bees to defend the hive.
Consider which type of bee is most involved in hive defense: Workers are primarily responsible for protecting the hive, so they would need to be highly responsive to alarm pheromones.
Conclude that worker bees likely have the most alarm pheromone receptors: Since workers are tasked with defending the hive, they need to detect alarm pheromones efficiently to respond quickly to threats.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Pheromones
Pheromones are chemical signals released by an organism to affect the behavior or physiology of others of its species. In honeybees, pheromones are crucial for communication within the hive, influencing roles such as mating, foraging, and defense. The alarm pheromone, for instance, triggers defensive behavior among worker bees to protect the hive from threats.
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Honeybee Social Structure
Honeybee colonies are structured into distinct roles: the queen, drones, and worker bees. The queen is responsible for reproduction, drones mate with the queen, and worker bees perform tasks like foraging and hive defense. This division of labor is essential for the survival and efficiency of the hive, with pheromones playing a key role in maintaining these roles.
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Alarm Pheromone Receptors
Alarm pheromone receptors are specialized sensory structures that detect alarm pheromones, prompting bees to defend the hive. Worker bees, tasked with protection, likely have the most alarm pheromone receptors, enabling them to quickly respond to threats. This adaptation ensures the hive's safety by mobilizing workers to act defensively when necessary.
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