Question at position 16 The year is 2028, you just completed a PhD in honey bee biology, and you receive a research article to review for Insectes Sociaux, a scientific journal focusing on discoveries made in social insects. The study you must evaluate characterizes, both chemically and behaviorally, a new pheromone in honey bees. This pheromone, dubbed WRP for Worker Releaser Pheromone, is a blend of 5 ethyl esters that can speed up development in the brood. As a reviewer, you should:ask the authors to rename their pheromone because it is a primer pheromone with non-immediate effects on the physiology of larvaereject the study on the grounds that releaser pheromones cannot be blends of chemicals thus their chemical characterization is erroneousask the authors to rename their chemical because it is not a pheromone since it is involved in communication between DIFFERENT life stages of honey bees

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question presents a scenario in which a newly described chemical cue in honey bees is proposed as a pheromone, with specific behavior and classification to evaluate as a reviewer.
Option 1: 'ask the authors to rename their pheromone because it is a primer pheromone with non-immediate effects on the physiology of larvae.' This option correctly identifies that primer pheromones produce non-immediate physiological or developmental effects, such as influencing larval development, which can be distinct from immediate behavioral release. It is a precise and scientifically accurate characterization: the descriptor 'primer pheromone' acknowledges the temporal dynamics of its effect and its developmental target, supporting a request to rename only if the authors mislabelled its functional category. In other words, the concern about terminology reflects a nuanced understanding of pheromone classes and their effects, making this a plausible reviewer recommendation.
Option 2: 'reject the study on the grounds that releaser pheromones cannot be blends of chemicals thus their chemical characterization is erroneous.' This claim is incorrect. Releaser pheromones are often complex blends that elicit rapid, immediate behavioral responses, and there is no general rule forbidding blends. The assertion that blends cannot be releasers is a misconception about how pheromones can be chemically diverse yet still function as releasers. A reviewer would not typically reject a study solely on this premise; instead, they would assess whether the data support the classification and whether the chemical analyses align with established pheromone categories.
Option 3: 'ask the authors to rename their chemical because it is not a pheromone since it is involved in communication between DIFFERENT life stages of honey bees.' This option rests on the idea that inter-life-stage communication cannot be pheromonal. However, pheromones can mediate signals across developmental stages or between different castes and life stages in eusocial insects. Therefore, claiming it is not a pheromone because it spans life stages is scientifically unfounded. The broader literature includes pheromonal cues that influence larvae or pupae as well as adult behaviors, so this rationale would misclassify a legitimate pheromone by overgeneralizing about pheromone scope.
Overall, the first option aligns with established pheromone taxonomy by recognizing a primer pheromone with non-immediate developmental effects, while the other options rely on incorrect assumptions about pheromone types, their chemical nature, or the definition of pheromones across life stages.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Question at position 22 As a queen walks on combs in the hive, she leaves behind chemical residues that are detectable by workers. What is the most likely pheromone involved?queen mandibular pheromonealarm pheromoneethyl oleatetarsal pheromone

Question at position 36 As a queen walks on combs in the hive, she leaves behind chemical residues that are detectable by workers. What is the most likely pheromone involved?ethyl oleatealarm pheromonetarsal pheromonequeen mandibular pheromone

Question at position 1 As a queen walks on combs in the hive, she leaves behind chemical residues that are detectable by workers. What is the most likely pheromone involved?queen mandibular pheromoneethyl oleatealarm pheromonetarsal pheromone

Question at position 7 As a queen walks on combs in the hive, she leaves behind chemical residues that are detectable by workers. What is the most likely pheromone involved?tarsal pheromoneethyl oleatequeen mandibular pheromonealarm pheromone

In order to manipulate the behavior of others, individuals in social groups use chemical attractants called .

More Practical Tools for International Students

Homework AI Solver

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler