Ploidy

Ploidy is the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell and is an important concept in biology and genetics. It determines the type of organism and influences many of its traits and characteristics. Ploidy can range from monoploid (one set of chromosomes) to polyploid (more than two sets) and can occur due to errors in cell division or deliberate induction. In plants, polyploidy can be induced to create new varieties with desirable traits. In humans and animals, aneuploidy (imbalanced chromosome number) can be related to congenital disorders and some types of cancers. Ploidy analysis is an important tool in genetic studies, diagnostics and phylogenetics.