Final answer:
An individual with multiple sets of chromosomes from the same species is described as autopolyploid. Autopolyploidy results from a meiotic error and is characterized by having additional full sets of an organism's own chromosomes, leading to larger and more robust plants in particular.
Step-by-step explanation:
An individual that has multiple sets of chromosomes from the same species is best described as an autopolyploid. Autopolyploidy occurs when an organism has two or more complete sets of chromosomes from its own species due to a meiotic error where all the chromosomes end up in one cell. This condition contrasts with allopolyploidy, which involves sets of chromosomes from different species.
Polyploidy is more common in plants than in animals, with polyploid plants often being larger and more robust compared to their diploid relatives. In the animal kingdom, polyploidy is extremely rare and usually results in sterility because of the inability of meiosis to proceed normally with uneven numbers of chromosome sets.