noun
- The condition of having an abnormal number of chromosomes that is not a simple multiple of the haploid number; aneuploidy.
Usage: technical; biology; genetics
Examples
- Heteroploidy in humans can result in genetic disorders such as Down syndrome.
- The researcher studied heteroploidy in fruit flies to understand chromosomal abnormalities.
- Heteroploidy differs from euploidy in that the chromosome number is not a balanced multiple of the haploid set.
- Cancer cells often exhibit heteroploidy due to chromosomal instability.
- Heteroploidy can arise from errors during meiosis or mitosis.