Many animals live in the world. Animals have always been of great importance in human history. People nurtured animals, used them for transportation and carrying loads, and produced clothes from their skins. Among the animals, perhaps there is one whose body secretion we consume every day: bees. So how do bees make honey and what substances are in honey? Let’s get to know the creatures Einstein defined as “without them, humanity can only live for 4 years.” more closely!
Humanity Can Only Live For 4 Years Without Bees!
Bees are very important animals both for nature and humans. Although most of us think of honey when we think of bees, there is actually much more to it. Bees contribute greatly to the order of nature by helping pollination. Famous physicist Albert Einstein is presumed to have said about bees, “If the bees disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” These words once again showed that bees have a vital importance in nature. In addition, bees produce many important nutrients such as pollen, propolis, beeswax, and royal jelly. Let’s see how these miraculous animals make honey…
How Do Bees Make Honey?
The honey-making journey of bees is extremely difficult. Many basic factors must come together for the formation of honey. We can categorize honey bees into three classes: the queen bee, the worker bee, and the drone bee. The queen bee serves by laying eggs. Worker bees collect nectar from flowering plants and carry this nectar to their hives in their sacs. The nectar they carry contains a large amount of sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Thanks to the enzymes secreted in their sacs during transportation, they ensure the breakdown of nectars. Worker bees in the hive drink and extract the nectar they take from the carrier bees, and meanwhile, the enzymes in the bees break down the nectar further. As a result of this decomposition, sucrose, fructose, and glucose in the nectar continue to be converted, while all these nectars are placed in honeycombs. The nectars are thoroughly broken down by enzymes and honey will begin to form within a few days. As a result of this time frame, honey production has been concluded. Well, what is the structure of honey, the guest of our breakfasts and in many of the foods/drinks we eat?
So, Which Ingredients Are in the Structure of Honey?
Honey has a very complex structure due to the diversity of its ingredients. It can show quite different structures according to various regions and times of acquisition. Therefore, analysis of the composition of honey includes a large number of samples. The composition of honey varies according to the plant species in the region and the time of production. The first feature of honey that comes to mind is that it is sweet. This is because of the three sugars in honey. Although the mixing ratio in the content of honey varies according to the type, in general,
It contains 34% glucose, 2% sucrose and 40% fructose. In addition to these three sugar types, 17% is water and the remaining 7% is made up of iron, sodium, sulfur, magnesium, phosphorus, pollen, manganese, aluminum, silver, albumin, dextril, nitrogen, protein and various acids. This 7% mixture determines the quality of honey.
In this article, we examined the complex production method and structure of honey, which is not as simple as it seems. A big thank you to the bees for their share in preserving the unique balance of nature and gifting us these delicious flavors…
References and Further Reading
How Do Bees Make Honey? Why Do Bees Have the Instinct to Make Honey? (2021). Milliyet News. https://www.milliyet.com.tr/egitim/arilar-nasil-bal-yapar-arilar-neden-bal-yapma-gudusune-sahiptirler-6482609
Environmental Awareness Platform. (2019). What are the Benefits of Bees to Nature and Humans? What is the Importance of the Bee? http://www.cevrebilinci.com/arilarin-dogaya-ve-insanlara-faydalari-nedir/
Sarigul, T. (2018). How Do Bees Make Honey? What Substances Are in the Structure of Honey?. https://bilimgenc.tubitak.gov.tr/makale/arilar-nasil-bal-yapar-balin-yapisinda-hangi-makale-var
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The proofreading has been done by Asu Pelin Akköse and Mete Esencan.
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