Editing Somatic cell (section)

{{short description|Any biological cell forming the body of an organism}}
{{see also|Somatic (biology)}}
In [[cellular biology]], a '''somatic cell''' ({{ety|grc|''σῶμα'' (sôma)|body}}), or '''vegetal cell''', is any [[cell (biology)|biological cell]] forming the body of a [[multicellular organism]] other than a [[gamete]], [[germ cell]], [[gametocyte]] or undifferentiated [[stem cell]].<ref name="campbell229">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/biologynastaedit00camp_302 |title=Biology |vauthors=Campbell NA, Reece JB, Urry LA, Cain ML, Wasserman SA, Minorsky PV, Jackson RB |publisher=Pearson Benjamin Cummings |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-8053-6844-4 |edition=9th |page=[https://archive.org/details/biologynastaedit00camp_302/page/n275 229] |url-access=limited}}</ref> Somatic cells compose the body of an organism and divide through [[mitosis]].

In contrast, [[gametes]] derive from [[meiosis]] within the [[germ cell]]s of the [[germline]] and they fuse during [[sexual reproduction]]. [[Stem cells]] also can divide through [[mitosis]], but are different from somatic in that they [[Cellular differentiation|differentiate]] into diverse specialized cell types.

In [[mammal]]s, somatic cells make up all the internal organs, skin, bones, blood and [[connective tissue]], while mammalian germ cells give rise to [[spermatozoa]] and [[ovum|ova]] which fuse during [[fertilization]] to produce a cell called a [[zygote]], which divides and differentiates into the cells of an [[embryo]]. There are approximately 220 types of somatic cell in the human body.<ref name="campbell229" />

Theoretically, these cells are not germ cells (the source of gametes); they transmit their [[mutations]], to their cellular descendants (if they have any), but not to the organism's descendants. However, in [[sponge]]s, non-differentiated somatic cells form the germ line and, in [[Cnidaria]], differentiated somatic cells are the source of the germline. Mitotic cell division is only seen in [[diploid]] somatic cells. Only some cells like germ cells take part in reproduction.<ref>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Chernis PJ |date=1985 |title=Petrographic analysis of URL-2 and URL-6 special thermal conductivity samples. |journal=Department Cf Energy, Mines, and Resources. Earth Physics Branch, Report. |volume=8 |page=20 |doi=10.4095/315247 |doi-access=free}}</ref>