Final answer:
A cell in a female human contains 46 chromosomes, which make up 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes. These include 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX).
Step-by-step explanation:
Human somatic cells typically contain 46 chromosomes, which constitute 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes. The question likely refers to a somatic cell at a stage when chromosomes are visible, which is during the process of cell division, specifically mitosis. In a female human somatic cell, there are 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, with each pair consisting of chromosomes that are alike in structure and gene content, but which may contain different alleles.
Out of these pairs, 22 are autosomal chromosomes, while the remaining pair are the sex chromosomes, which are two 'X' chromosomes in females. In contrast, males have one 'X' and one 'Y' chromosome, which are not considered truly homologous due to their differing sizes and genetic content. Thus this cell, being from a female and having undergone chromosome painting that makes individual chromosomes 'light up', if observed during mitosis, would indeed have 46 chromosomes.