What is the Difference Between Aneuploidy and Polyploidy?

Aneuploidy and polyploidy are two types of chromosomal abnormalities that differ in the number and structure of chromosomes in a cell. The main differences between them are:

1. Number of chromosomes: Aneuploidy refers to the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell, where a chromosome is either missing or present in excess. In contrast, polyploidy refers to the presence of extra complete sets of chromosomes in a cell.
2. Types of aneuploidy: There are four types of aneuploidy: monosomy, disomy, trisomy, and tetrasomy. Monosomy occurs when a cell has only one copy of a particular chromosome, while disomy occurs when a cell has two copies of a particular chromosome. Trisomy occurs when a cell has three copies of a particular chromosome, and tetrasomy occurs when a cell has four copies of a particular chromosome.
3. Types of polyploidy: There are two types of polyploidy: autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy. Autopolyploidy occurs when an organism has more than two sets of chromosomes, while allopolyploidy occurs when an organism has more than two sets of chromosomes from different species.
4. Examples: An example of aneuploidy is Down syndrome, where an extra chromosome is present in chromosome 21. Examples of polyploid plants include wheat, peanuts, oats, and bananas.

In summary, aneuploidy involves an abnormal number of individual chromosomes, while polyploidy involves the presence of extra complete sets of chromosomes. Aneuploidy is further classified into monosomy, disomy, trisomy, and tetrasomy, while polyploidy can be either autopolyploidy or allopolyploidy.

Comparative Table: Aneuploidy vs Polyploidy

Here is a table comparing the differences between aneuploidy and polyploidy:

In summary, aneuploidy is a chromosomal abnormality that can result in lethal chromosomal abnormalities, while polyploidy is a genome doubling process that can create lethal triploid and tetraploid conditions.