What are cells called that have the full set of chromosomes? Are they haploid, diploid, somatic, or semi-somatic?

1 Answer
Ms. Worth
Mar 23, 2018

Cells with the full set of chromosomes are "diploid somatic cells."

Explanation:

Somatic cells are the cells that make up the vast majority of the body.

Somatic cells each have the complete set of chromosomes.

In humans, that means that the somatic cells have 46 chromosomes each - 23 pairs, one set of 23 from each parent, for a total of 46.

In order to maintain the correct number of chromosomes when the egg cell and sperm cell combine, the chromosome number in the gametes is cut in half during "meiosis" (the "reduction" division.)

Somatic cells, with the full set of chromosomes are diploid," with the 2n chromosome number.

Gametes, with one half the full number of chromosomes, are "haploid," with the 1n chromosome number.

During fertilization, the somatic cells' 2n  "diploid" chromosome number is restored when both of the 1n  "haploid" gametes fuse with each other.

Here's an image of this process:
The "diploid" (2n) cells are "somatic" cells. and the "haploid"  (1n) cells are the gametes.

enter image source here
http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/mod/page/view.php?id=45527

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