Question

task 15: meiosis vs. mitosis
what is a diploid cell?
a cell with two sets of chromosomes
a cell with half the number of chromosomes
a genetically identical cell
a body cell

Explanation:

A diploid cell is defined as a cell that contains two complete sets of chromosomes. One set is inherited from the mother and the other from the father. For example, in humans, most body cells (somatic cells) are diploid with 46 chromosomes (23 pairs).

• The option “A cell with half the number of chromosomes” describes a haploid cell (e.g., gametes like sperm or egg cells in humans have 23 chromosomes).
• “A genetically identical cell” is more related to the result of mitosis (where daughter cells are genetically identical to the parent cell in most cases), not the definition of diploid.
• “A body cell” is too broad as body cells can be diploid (most) but some aspects (like mitochondria have their own DNA which is a different context) and it doesn't specifically address the chromosome - set definition.

Answer:

A. A cell with two sets of chromosomes