What are the differences between somatic and germ cells?

Somatic cells make up the body while germ cells are involved in reproduction.

Somatic cells are any cells in the body that are not involved in reproduction. They make up the majority of the body's cells and are responsible for carrying out various functions such as muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and hormone production. Somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.

On the other hand, germ cells are involved in the production of gametes, which are necessary for sexual reproduction. Germ cells are located in the gonads, which are the testes in males and ovaries in females. Unlike somatic cells, germ cells are haploid, meaning they contain only one set of chromosomes. This is because during meiosis, the process of cell division that produces gametes, the chromosome number is halved.

Another key difference between somatic and germ cells is their ability to divide. Somatic cells can divide through mitosis, which is a type of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells. Germ cells, however, can divide through both mitosis and meiosis, which is necessary for the production of gametes.

In summary, somatic cells make up the majority of the body's cells and are not involved in reproduction, while germ cells are involved in the production of gametes and are located in the gonads. Germ cells are haploid and can divide through both mitosis and meiosis, while somatic cells are diploid and can only divide through mitosis.