Final answer:
Diploid cells are those that contain two sets of chromosomes, typically found in most animals and plants. Haploid cells contain a single set of chromosomes and are usually found in the reproductive structures of organisms. An exception to this rule is seen in plants which alternate between diploid and haploid stages in their life cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The terms haploid and diploid refer to the number of sets of chromosomes found in a cell. Most animals and plants are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes. This is true for all body or somatic cells (excluding reproductive cells) as these cells contain two copies of each chromosome - one from each parent. The number of chromosomes is 46, as evidenced by the somatic cells seen in Figure 10.3.
On the other hand, haploid cells, with a single set of chromosomes are usually found in an organism's reproductive structures, such as ovaries and testes. These haploid cells can be either gametes (sperm or eggs) or spores, which are capable of producing a haploid organism or, upon fusing with another spore, a diploid cell. The number of chromosomes in these cells is 23.
A typical example of this can be found in plants, which show an alternation of generations between a diploid (2n) stage called a sporophyte, and a haploid (1n) stage called a gametophyte. As seen in Figure 11.10 and Figure 14.2, the sporophyte creates haploid spores through the process of meiosis, and these spores grow into the gametophyte stage which produces gametes.
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