A genetic condition in organisms where there are four sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two, occurring when two diploid cells combine.
From Greek 'amphi-' (both) and 'diploidy' (having two sets of chromosomes). The term emerged in early 20th-century genetics to describe polyploid organisms with paired chromosome sets.
This condition is surprisingly common in plants—many crops like wheat and cotton are amphidiploids, which actually makes them more stable and productive than their diploid parents, explaining why agriculture accidentally domesticated polyploid plants.
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