chromosome
In species with sexual reproduction, each cell of the body has two copies of each chromosome. For example, human beings have 23 different chromosomes. Each body cell contains two of each chromosome, for a total of 46 chromosomes. You can see the 23 pairs of human chromosomes in Figure below . The number of different types of chromosomes is called the haploid number. In humans, the haploid number is 23. The number of chromosomes in normal body cells is called the diploid number. The diploid number is twice the haploid number. In humans, the diploid number is two times 23, or 46.