what is haploid

Haploid refers to a cell, organism, or condition that has half of the usual complete set of chromosomes in somatic cells. In other words, a haploid cell contains a single set of chromosomes, while diploid cells contain two sets of chromosomes. Humans are diploid, meaning they have two copies of each chromosome in most cells. However, the egg and sperm cells are haploid, containing only one set of chromosomes. Haploid gametes are produced during meiosis, a type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in a parent diploid cell by half. Some organisms, like algae, have haploid portions of their life cycle, while others, like male ants, live as haploid organisms throughout their life cycle.