The condition of having two complete sets of chromosomes in a cell or organism, one from each parent.
From Greek 'diplos' (double) + '-oidia' (condition of). This genetics term was formalized in the early 20th century as scientists understood chromosome behavior during reproduction.
Diploidy is why you look like a combination of your parents rather than an exact copy—because your cells carry two different instruction manuals, and your body runs both programs at once.
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