Question

Which type of cell division occurs in somatic cells?
a. Mitosis
b. Meiosis
c. Amitosis
d. None of these

Answer 1

Somatic cells are any cells of the body except the reproductive cells such as sperm and egg cells. These cells are the diploid cells means they contain two sets of chromosomes. Somatic cells form the body of an organism. ‘Somatic’ word has been derived from word soma which means “body".For example skin , bones, blood and connective tissues are formed of somatic cells.

Complete answer:
- These cells are the normal cells of the body other than the egg cells and sperm cells.
- Somatic cells take part in the formation of body structure.
- Thus, it requires mitosis cell division which increases the number of diploid cells.
- While, meiosis occurs in reproductive cells where it produces the haploid cells from diploid mother cells.
- Amitosis is a direct cell division where nucleus and cytoplasm divide by constriction without the formation of chromosomes it is a direct division.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Additional information:
- Internal organs skin, bones, blood and connective tissues all are made up of somatic cells.
- There are two types of somatic cells in the body namely Bone cells and Liver cells.
- Somatic cells differ from germ cells as in somatic cells genetic material cannot pass to the offspring.

Note: Somatic cells are any biological cells that form the body of an organism. These cells form all the internal organs, blood, bones, skin and connective tissues. In the process of mitosis, a single cell and its nucleus divide into one cell each have one nucleus.
Example of mitosis is skin cells of the child body all multiple of times while the growth of the child. Mutations in somatic cells can affect the person but cannot pass on to offspring. In multicellular organisms mitosis occurs only in somatic cells.