Somatic
Cells in the body
Somatic refers to the cells of the body that are not involved in reproduction. Somatic cells are also called “body cells” and include all cells in the body except for the germ cells (sperm and egg). Somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two copies of each chromosome (one from each parent). These cells reproduce through mitosis, where each daughter cell receives an exact copy of the genetic material.
Examples of somatic cells include skin cells, muscle cells, liver cells, and nerve cells. Mutations that occur in somatic cells may lead to the development of diseases such as cancer, but these mutations are not passed down to offspring. In contrast, germ cells are haploid, containing only one copy of each chromosome, and are involved in reproduction.
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