What defines a diploid cell?

What defines a diploid cell?

• A. It contains two copies of every chromosome, one from each parent.
• B. It contains a single set of chromosomes.
• C. It contains only sex chromosomes.
• D. It contains three copies of each chromosome.

Answer: (B)

Diploid cells carry two complete sets of chromosomes, meaning two copies of each chromosome—one inherited from each parent. This pairing creates homologous chromosomes that enable proper alignment and recombination during cell division. That two-set concept distinguishes diploid from haploid, which has only one set of chromosomes. The idea of having three copies describes triploidy, not diploidy, and having only sex chromosomes would not reflect the full chromosome complement typical of a diploid cell.

Diploid cells carry two complete sets of chromosomes, meaning two copies of each chromosome—one inherited from each parent. This pairing creates homologous chromosomes that enable proper alignment and recombination during cell division. That two-set concept distinguishes diploid from haploid, which has only one set of chromosomes. The idea of having three copies describes triploidy, not diploidy, and having only sex chromosomes would not reflect the full chromosome complement typical of a diploid cell.