Somatic cells are any biological cells forming the body of a multicellular organism other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte, or undifferentiated stem cell. They 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 can also divide through mitosis, but they differentiate into diverse specialized cell types.

Key features of somatic cells include:

• Chromosomes: Like all cells, somatic cells contain DNA arranged in chromosomes. If a somatic cell contains chromosomes arranged in pairs, it is called diploid, and the organism is called a diploid organism. In humans, somatic cells contain 46 chromosomes organized into 23 pairs.

• Mutation: DNA mutations in somatic cells can affect an individual, but they cannot be passed on to their offspring.

Examples of somatic cells include nerve, blood, muscle, and bone cells. In mammals, somatic cells make up all the internal organs, skin, bones, blood, and connective tissue. There are approximately 220 types of somatic cells in the human body.