Final answer:
Fertilization is the biological process where egg and sperm gametes combine to form a diploid zygote, restoring the organism's original chromosome count. In humans, this means a total of 46 chromosomes in the zygote. Techniques such as cloning make use of similar principles, transferring a diploid nucleus into an enucleated egg to create a new organism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Fertilization
The process that joins the egg and sperm to restore the original chromosome number of an organism is known as fertilization. During fertilization, the haploid gametes (egg and sperm) combine to form a diploid zygote. The egg and sperm each contribute one set of chromosomes, resulting in a zygote with a complete set of chromosomes - half from each parent. For humans, this means the zygote will have 46 chromosomes, or 23 pairs. The zygote then undergoes cell division by mitosis to develop into a multicellular organism.
Advances in biotechnology have also introduced the concept of reproductive cloning, which relies on the principle of somatic cell nuclear transfer. This technique involves transferring a diploid nucleus from a donor into an enucleated egg cell. This newly created cell can then develop into an embryo and potentially grow into an organism that is genetically identical to the donor.