In diploid organisms, each somatic (body) cell has ______ copies of each chromosome.

• A. two
• B. four
• C. three
• D. one

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of a diploid organism: it has two sets of chromosomes, one set inherited from each parent.
2. Recall that somatic cells are all body cells except the reproductive cells (gametes).
3. Recognize that in diploid organisms, somatic cells contain two copies of each chromosome, one from the mother and one from the father.
4. Contrast this with haploid cells (gametes), which have only one copy of each chromosome.
5. Therefore, the number of copies of each chromosome in somatic cells of diploid organisms is two.