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A somatic mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a somatic cell of a multicellular organism with dedicated reproductive cells; that is, any mutation that occurs in a cell other than a gamete, germ cell, or gametocyte. Unlike germline mutations, which can be passed on to the descendants of an organism, somatic mutations are not usually ...
Appearance. Transmittance of a de novo mutation in germ cells to offspring. A germline mutation, or germinal mutation, is any detectable variation within germ cells (cells that, when fully developed, become sperm and ova). [ 1 ] Mutations in these cells are the only mutations that can be passed on to offspring, when either a mutated sperm or ...
Somatic cell. In cellular biology, a somatic cell (from Ancient Greek σῶμα (sôma) 'body'), or vegetal cell, is any biological cell forming the body of a multicellular organism other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte or undifferentiated stem cell. [ 1 ] Somatic cells compose the body of an organism and divide through mitosis.
If a mutation is present in a germ cell, it can give rise to offspring that carries the mutation in all of its cells. This is the case in hereditary diseases. In particular, if there is a mutation in a DNA repair gene within a germ cell, humans carrying such germline mutations may have an increased risk of cancer.
Germ cells produce gametes and are the only cells that can undergo meiosis as well as mitosis. Somatic cells are all the other cells that form the building blocks of the body and they only divide by mitosis. The lineage of germ cells is called the germline. Germ cell specification begins during cleavage in many animals or in the epiblast during ...
Contents. Germline. In biology and genetics, the germline is the population of a multicellular organism 's cells that develop into germ cells. In other words, they are the cells that form gametes (eggs and sperm), which can come together to form a zygote. They differentiate in the gonads from primordial germ cells into gametogonia, which ...
In female mice, somatic cells were also found to have a higher mutation frequency than germline cells. [4] It was suggested that elevated levels of DNA repair enzymes play a prominent role in the lower mutation frequency of male and female germline cells, and that enhanced genetic integrity is a fundamental characteristic of germline cells. [ 4 ]
[citation needed] The mutation frequency of female mouse germ line cells, like male germ line cells, is also lower than that of somatic cells. [49] Low germ line mutation frequency appears to be due, in part, to elevated levels of DNA repair enzymes that remove potentially mutagenic DNA damages. Enhanced genetic integrity may be a fundamental ...