What are somatic cells?

Somatic cells are defined as any cells in a multicellular organism that are not involved in the production of gametes, which are the sperm and egg cells. This encompasses nearly all cell types in the body, including skin cells, muscle cells, and nerve cells, among others. These cells are diploid, meaning they contain two complete sets of chromosomes, one inherited from each parent.

The other options refer to specific aspects of cell types that do not encompass the entire definition of somatic cells. For instance, somatic cells do not specifically undergo meiosis, hence they are not defined by that characteristic alone. Additionally, somatic cells are not exclusively haploid; they are typically diploid. Lastly, while some somatic cells may participate in asexual reproduction in certain organisms, this definition does not capture the broad scope of what somatic cells are, as many do not directly function in reproduction at all. Thus, focusing on the exclusion of sperm and egg cells aptly identifies somatic cells as the remaining cell population within an organism.