What are the advantages of diploidy?

Answer 1

DNA, the instructions used by living organisms to grow and develop, is organized into strands. Those strands are then folded up and wound into more compact strands that form chromosomes. A diploid organism is one that has two complete sets of chromosomes. Being a diploid organism offers several advantages. One advantage of having a second chromosome is that there is a "backup". If a gene on one chromosome is damaged or missing, it's not as much of a problem because there is another copy of that gene on the other chromosome. Another advantage is that it adds to the genetic diversity of an organism's offspring. More chromosomes means more genes, which means a bigger gene pool. Having a bigger gene pool means that offspring will be more diverse and that the overall chances that an organism's offspring will survive will increase.

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Answer 2

It allows recessive alleles that may not be favored in the current environment to be preserved in the gene pool by propagation in heterozygotes.

Natural selection tends to decrease genetic variation. Recessive alleles are shielded from natural selection in heterozygotes.