Humans typically have 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell, making a total of 46 chromosomes. Of these, 22 pairs are autosomes, which are the same in both males and females, and 1 pair is the sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males).
This diploid number of 46 chromosomes comes from our parents, with one set inherited from the mother and the other from the father. Each pair of chromosomes carries genes that encode for various traits and functions within the body. Understanding the chromosomal makeup is crucial in fields such as genetics, medicine, and anthropology, as abnormalities in chromosome number or structure can lead to various health conditions.