In a diploid organism, how many homologous chromosomes does each somatic cell have?

• A. 46 pairs
• B. 23 single chromosomes
• C. 23 pairs
• D. 46 single chromosomes

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a diploid organism has two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.
2. Recognize that somatic cells are any cells forming the body of an organism, excluding germ cells.
3. In humans, the diploid number is 46, which means there are 46 chromosomes in total in each somatic cell.
4. These 46 chromosomes are organized into 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, where each pair consists of one chromosome from each parent.
5. Therefore, each somatic cell in a diploid organism has 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, totaling 46 single chromosomes.