Ploidy

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ploidy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the human somatic ploidy?Human somatic cells are diploid (2n=46), with 23 homologous pairs of chromosomes
2. How many chromosome sets do human cells normally have?Human body cells are diploid, meaning they have two sets of 23 chromosomes each, for a total of 46. One set comes from mom, the other from dad.
3. Why do some plants have more than two sets of chromosomes?Plants can become polyploid, having three or more sets, which often makes them bigger, stronger, or more tolerant. This can create new species and help plants adapt.

Chromosome Set: A complete collection of chromosomes, typically one inherited from each parent in diploid organisms.
Homologous Chromosomes: Pairs of chromosomes in diploid cells that carry the same genes, one from each parent.
Meiosis: A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes.
Euploidy: The state of having a normal number of chromosomes, an exact multiple of the haploid set.