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What is the significance of somatic cells?
Posted February 1, 2024
Answer
Somatic cells refer to all the cells in the body other than sperm and egg cells. The significance of somatic cells is they make up the skin, blood, bones, connective tissue, and internal organs in all organisms. Somatic mutations only affect the individual carrying the mutation. They are not inheritable and have no effect on the offspring.
Additional resources
Germline mutations and blood malignancy (Review)