Which term refers to an organism or cell having two sets of chromosomes?

The term that refers to an organism or cell having two sets of chromosomes is diploid. In humans and many other organisms, diploid cells contain two complete sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent. This is crucial for sexual reproduction because it allows for genetic diversity through the combination of genetic material from both parents.

Diploid cells are denoted as 2n, where 'n' represents the number of chromosomes in a single set. For example, humans have a diploid number of 46 chromosomes, which means they have 23 pairs of chromosomes. This contrasts with haploid cells, which have only one set of chromosomes (n), such as sperm and egg cells in humans. Understanding the differences between diploid and haploid cells is fundamental in genetics, especially in the context of meiosis and fertilization, where the diploid state is restored after the union of sperm and egg.