Question Details

Which of the following organisms do not reproduce?

Options

A

mules

B

sterile worker bees

C

sterile human couple

D

All of the above

Correct Answer :

All of the above

Solution :

The correct answer is All of the above.

Reproduction is the biological process by which organisms produce offspring similar to themselves. While reproduction is a characteristic of living things, it is not an all-inclusive defining feature of life because several living organisms do not or cannot reproduce. Let us analyze each option:

1. Mules: A mule is the hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Because donkeys and horses have different numbers of chromosomes, meiosis in mules is disrupted, rendering them sterile and unable to reproduce.
2. Sterile worker bees: In a honeybee colony, the worker bees are females whose reproductive organs are underdeveloped. They do not reproduce; instead, the queen bee is the only fertile female responsible for laying eggs.
3. Sterile human couples: Due to various genetic, hormonal, or anatomical factors, some human couples are unable to conceive offspring and are classified as sterile or infertile.

Since all the listed organisms are living yet incapable of reproduction, "All of the above" is the correct choice.

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