Biology / Unit 5 Bio 0997 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Diplontic Life Cycle
Captions available
The idea
In a diplontic life cycle, the multicellular organism is diploid throughout its life, and meiosis produces haploid gametes that are the only haploid cells present.
In practice
A human's body cells stay diploid throughout life; only sperm and egg cells are ever haploid.
Where people slip
The organism itself never becomes haploid in this cycle — only its gametes do, briefly, until fertilization restores the diploid state.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Biology