noun
- organisms having more than two complete sets of chromosomes
Usage: biology; genetics
Examples
- Many crop plants are polyploids with enhanced size and vigor.
- Wheat is one of the most important polyploids in agriculture.
- Polyploids often exhibit increased resistance to environmental stress.
- Some polyploids are sterile due to problems during meiosis.
- Botanists study polyploids to understand plant evolution.
- Certain polyploids can reproduce through asexual means.