Final answer:
A fertilized egg contains the diploid number of chromosomes, which includes one set from the mother and one from the father, totaling 46 chromosomes in humans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chromosomes in a fertilized egg are diploid, which means they contain two sets of chromosomes, one set from each parent. In humans, this amounts to a total of 46 chromosomes, with 23 being maternally derived (from the mother's egg) and 23 paternally derived (from the father's sperm). Therefore, the answer to the question would be C. The diploid number. Haploid cells, like the sperm and egg, have only half the number of chromosomes, which combine to form a diploid cell during fertilization. This cellular fusion results in a zygote, the initial cell of a new organism that contains a full set of chromosomes.