How do the number of chromosomes in gametes differ from those in somatic cells?
1 Answer
Apr 2, 2016
Gametes have 23, somatic cells have 46.
Explanation:
Gametes are cells involved in reproduction. In humans, these are the spermatozoon and ovum, or sperm and egg. When organisms reproduce, these two types of cells fuse together to form the zygote, the first cell of the offspring.
The zygote is the precursor to somatic cells, as it divides into the embryo, which develops and gets larger and more advanced. The cells in the embryo are mostly somatic cells, from Greek soma, meaning body.
Human somatic cells have 46 chromosomes, and since a gamete can be thought of as half a somatic cell, they have 23 each.
