Honey is made through a multi-step process involving bees:
- Nectar Gathering: Worker bees collect nectar from flowering plants, which is primarily composed of carbohydrates (sugars).
- Enzymatic Conversion: The bees store the nectar in their honey stomachs, where enzymes begin breaking down complex sugars (like sucrose) into simpler sugars (like glucose and fructose).
- Evaporation: Back at the hive, bees regurgitate the nectar and deposit it into hexagonal beeswax cells. They fan their wings to help evaporate water, thickening the nectar into honey.
- Capping: Once the honey reaches the right humidity, bees seal the cells with wax to preserve it.
In biology, this process showcases how organisms synthesize energy-rich carbohydrates from simpler forms, serving as a crucial food source for bees and humans alike.