Typical value for this property is the most frequent chromosome count in typical body cell in normal adult individual of a species. For example at Homo sapiens (Q15978631):
3. Cell type difference. There are different chromosome count between cell type (Q189118). For example, red blood cell (Q37187) has 0 chromosome. cancer cell (Q4118072) has various number. For this property, use chromosome count for typical body cell (e.g. In human, use 46)
4. Variations in disease or syndrome. For example, Down syndrome (Q47715) has 47 chromosomes. This kind of data is stored at disease or syndrome item page like Down syndrome#P5230, but not species page. Because there are many kind of disease or syndrome which has chromosome count variation.
Integer: values should be integers (ie. they shouldn't have a fractional part) (Help)
Notified participants of WikiProject Biology @Ptolusque, Pintoch: This property is well intended but we have to really be careful about the definition. The definition should be "number of chromosomes in 1 chromosomal set", i.e. monoploid number. The example given on property page (human: P5230 = 46) illustrates the problem. Humans have 23 chromosomes in one set. 46 is the number in most somatic cells. But some cells in human body are tetraploid (92) or more. IMHO this should be fixed before the erroneous usage spreads.--Vojtěch Dostál (talk) 08:43, 1 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]
I had actually given some thought to this. By itself chromosome count is always incomplete; it also needs ploidy. A common way of notation is "2n = 46". Wikidata could do it both ways 1) "n=23" (not "monoploid", but "haploid") and "ploidy = diploidy" or 2) "total number=46" and "ploidy = diploidy": the rest can be calculated. However, total number of chromosomes has the advantage that it should always be possible to count number of chromosomes, but not always possible to establish level of ploidy. Total number is safer. - Brya (talk) 16:32, 8 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]
There is a huge problem with defining a "typical body cell". Some organisms are haploid at one cell stage and diploid at another. I'd really go for "monoploid number" here. Or we need to use some mandatory qualifiers, eg. ploidy (P1349) as a qualifier of chromosome count (P5230), or we're going to get crazy soon. --Vojtěch Dostál (talk) 16:36, 8 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]
AFAIK, all organisms have half the full complement of chromosomes at one cell stage and the full complement of chromosomes at another. Use of ploidy as a qualifier should be restricted to qualify the full number. - Brya (talk) 02:59, 9 June 2018 (UTC)[reply]
I think the variation of the chromosome count in one biological species can be divided roughly into 4 types. Let me list up here:
2. Life cycle stage difference like w:en:gametophyte. Current main discussion target? I think it is good to use qualifier to specify the stage. Any ideas?
3. Cell type variations. Red blood cell has 0 chromosome in it. Cancer cell has various number. I think it is OK to store only number for typical body cell. Or any other ideas?
4. Y Disease kind variations. For instance, Down syndrome has 47 chromosomes. I think this is not controversial point. I think it is better to be included this type of data at disease item page (e.g. Down syndrome (Q47715)), not at species item page (e.g. Homo sapiens (Q15978631)).