A somatic cell is any biological cell forming the body of a multicellular organism other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte, or undifferentiated stem cell. Somatic cells compose the body of an organism and divide through the process of binary fission and mitotic division. In contrast, gametes are cells that fuse during sexual reproduction, and germ cells are cells that give rise to gametes. Stem cells also can divide through mitosis, but they differentiate into diverse specialized cell types.
In humans, somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent. There are approximately 220 types of somatic cell in the human body. Mutations in somatic cells can affect an individual, but they cannot be passed on to their offspring.
Somatic cells are used in somatic cell gene therapy, which involves the placement of a human gene into a living persons somatic cells. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process of transplanting nuclei from adult cells into oocytes or blastocysts and allowing them to grow and differentiate into a new organism.
Examples of somatic cells in the human body include bone cells, muscle cells, skin cells, and blood cells.
