How It Works: Honeybee Society
Workforce In The Hive Trevor Johnston A beehive buzzes with thousands of genetically similar female honeybees. Some nurse their queen and her eggs while others fly out in search of pollen and nectar. For decades, scientists knew that bees took on new jobs as they aged, but a team of researchers recently discovered that chemical tags attached to the bees' DNA play an important role in determining their career paths. The tags, which are frequently methyl groups, control gene expression, which in turn affects how an organism behaves. Both the chemical tags and the behavior they induce appear to be reversible, says Arizona State University biologist Gro Amdam. Foraging bees, for instance, could become nurses if the hive requires it. Humans also carry epigenetic tags that may affect their behavior. Scientists found methyl groups attached to a stress-hormone-receptor gene in child-abuse victims who committed suicide. If these chemical cues can...