What is the difference between somatic cells and germ cells

All the cell types of the body, with the exception of germ cells, is derived from the somatic cells. Both types of cells come from the zygote. A somatic cell is a cell that make the body tissues of multicellular organisms and does not have the ability to transfer genetic information to offspring. Somatic cells have two set of chromosomes , each received from two parents.

Since, somatic cells do not have the ability to transfer genetic information, the mutations occur in these type of cells will not be passed to the next generation. However, it may cause other injuries like cancers. The somatic cell has the ability to convert into many types of cells in the body.

A germ cell can be either a sperm or an egg or an early embryo ; a cell that is involved in the reproduction of multicellular organisms. The gametes are haploid cells, which are produced by the meiosis of diploid germ cells. Germ cells are found in gonads; ovaries in females and testes in males.

Several rounds of cell divisions occur in germ cells to produce gametes. The production of gametes from germ cells is called gametogenesis. Germ cells undergo both meiosis and mitosis during the production of gametes.

The sequence of cells produced from germ cells to gametes is called a germline. Oogenesis is the production of egg cells from germ cells whereas the spermatogenesis is the production of sperm cells. The meiotic division in spermatogenesis results in four, equal spermatids. In contrast, the meiotic division of oogenesis is asymmetrical. A single egg cell is formed while forming three polar bodies.

The meiosis in spermatogenesis comprises rapid and uninterrupted cell divisions. But meiosis in oogenesis is interrupted until puberty. Mutations in germ cells pass through generations since they are involved in producing gametes. Oogenesis is shown in figure 2.

Somatic Cells: Somatic cells are any cells in a multicellular organism that are not involved in the production of gametes. Germ Cells: Germ cells are the cells that create reproductive cells or gametes. Somatic Cells: Various types of somatic cells are arranged into different types of tissues in the body of multicellular organisms, performing specific functions. Germ Cells: Germ cells produce male and female gametes.

Somatic Cells: Majority of the body cells in multicellular organisms are somatic cells. Germ Cells: Germ cells are very few in number. Somatic Cells: Somatic cells perform various functions in the body. Germ Cells: Germ cells produce gametes, which participate in sexual reproduction. Somatic Cells: Somatic cells undergo mitosis. In humans, continuous mitotic cell divisions occur into the multicellular organism, and the fusion of a sperm cell forms the diploid zygote.

The human body contains more than three trillion somatic cells. These somatic cells are distributing into four major types of tissues in the body known as connective tissue, epithelial tissue, nerve tissue, and muscles tissues. Tissues form organs and organs form organ systems. Mutations occur in somatic cells since they play no role in sexual reproduction as they cannot contribute to evolution.

Cloning is used to produce the same genetic clones of animals. In the somatic cell, the nucleus is removed from the cell and injected into an ovum of another individual of the same species. The genetic material of the animal has removed before the injection of the somatic cell in the nucleus. Somatic cells can tell us how we can have bones, organ, and tissues since these types of cells are responsible for the structures of the body.

From the above discussion, it concludes that Germ cell is an embryonic cell with the potential of developing into a gamete and somatic cells are the cell of the body other than germ cells and divide by mitosis. Both cells are contributing to making the multicellular organism. Janet White is a writer and blogger for Difference Wiki since She has a master's degree in science and medical journalism from Boston University.