Why is a red blood cell diploid?

Answer 1

Red blood cells are not diploid. RBCs become de-nucleated (their nucleus is removed) to make room for more hemoglobin. Because of this, RBCs have no chromosomes, and, therefore, they are neither haploid, nor diploid, nor any other ploidy, for that matter.

Answer 2

Fertilization is a process by which the haploid genes from the male parent combine with the haploid genes of the female parent to form the diploid genes of a zygote. In other words, two halves are combined to make a whole. That is what fertilization is.

Answer 3

Red blood cells are typically considered to be diploid because they originate from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow, which are diploid. However, as red blood cells mature, they lose their nucleus and cellular organelles, including their DNA content. This means that mature red blood cells do not actually contain genetic material and are therefore functionally haploid despite their diploid origins.