A cell with two complete sets of chromosomes is described as what?

A cell with two complete sets of chromosomes is described as what?

• A. Haploid
• B. Diploid
• C. Polyploid
• D. Monoploid

Answer: (B)

Understanding ploidy helps explain this idea. A cell with two complete chromosome sets has two copies of each chromosome, so its ploidy level is diploid (2n). This is common for body cells, while the gametes that form during reproduction carry one set (haploid, n). When fertilization happens, a haploid sperm and a haploid egg unite to restore the diploid state in the new organism. More-than-two sets of chromosomes are described as polyploid, and monoploid is a term used in different contexts to refer to a single chromosomal set. So two complete sets describe a diploid cell.

Understanding ploidy helps explain this idea. A cell with two complete chromosome sets has two copies of each chromosome, so its ploidy level is diploid (2n). This is common for body cells, while the gametes that form during reproduction carry one set (haploid, n). When fertilization happens, a haploid sperm and a haploid egg unite to restore the diploid state in the new organism. More-than-two sets of chromosomes are described as polyploid, and monoploid is a term used in different contexts to refer to a single chromosomal set. So two complete sets describe a diploid cell.