What is the number of chromosomes found in a gamete, representing one from each pair in a diploid somatic cell; in humans the number is 23?

• A. Diploid number
• B. Genome
• C. Chromosome set
• D. Haploid number

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that chromosome number differs between body cells and gametes. Body (somatic) cells in humans are diploid, with 46 chromosomes organized as 23 pairs. Gametes, produced by meiosis, carry only one chromosome from each pair, giving them half the diploid number. In humans that means 23 chromosomes per gamete. This specific count is called the haploid number—the chromosome number of a gamete. The diploid number (46 in humans) refers to body cells, not gametes, while the genome means the entire genetic content and a chromosome set refers to the full collection of chromosomes in a cell—not the single gamete count.