Somatic cells are the body forming cells of any organism and as the meaning suggest it really forms the body of any cell. The somatic word has been taken from the Greek word soma which really means the body. It is quiet different from the germline cells. Germline cells are found in the mammals and the example of the germline cells those which participate in reproduction. However here you will not have to worry about it. I really feel that we are here to talk about the somatic cells and hence we should talk about the somatic cells which are also called body cells.
A simple use of the somatic cells can be determined as the cells which forms the body. The somatic cell contains the 46 chromosomes as 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each cell of the chromosome contains one chromosome from the father and the mother. This is really very interesting to note that the somatic cells contain twice the times the somatic cells contain the chromosomes. You should know that the somatic cells contain 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs whereas the germilne cells contain only 23 chromosomes which is really half the number as contained by the somatic cells.
As far as the gender of the born child is concerned you should know that it depends upon the fusion of the gernline cells. It’s really also known that the zygote contains46 chromosomes.
As far as the other species are concerned I must tell you that they contain a much more complex structure. As far as the different species are concerned I must tell you that those species which contains chromosomes arranged in pairs are called the diploid organisms. Those species which contain single unpaired chromosomes are called the haploids. However as far as the somatic cells are concerned the chromosomes arrange themselves in four or the tetraploids or even the six or the haploids. This means that they can have the diploid or the triploid germline cells. As an example you can take the modern cultivated species of the wheat which is called the triticum aestivum L, a hexaploid species whose somatic cells contain six copy of every chromatid.
In recent times the technique of cloning has really become very important. I do feel that you must have the idea about the cloning but the question really arises that what is really the importance of the somatic cells in the cloning process. Any retention of existing mitochondrial DNA prevents the new cell being identical. One method of doing this is called “somatic cell nuclear transfer” and involves removing the nucleus from a somatic cell, usually a skin cell.
I really feel that now you must have got an idea that how important the somatic cells are for the human body and its comparison with the germline cells.