Haploid (Noun)
Meaning
(genetics) an organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Gametes are haploid cells that join during fertilization to form a new organism with a complete set of chromosomes.
- In most plants and animals, reproductive cells are haploid because they have undergone meiosis, a process of cell division.
- Sperm and egg cells are examples of haploid cells because each of them contains only one complete set of chromosomes.
- The haploid state is relatively rare in multicellular organisms, except during specific stages of development such as gamete formation.
- In some species of fungi and algae, haploid individuals are the main form of the organism's life cycle.