Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
How many chromosomes do all the somatic cells in humans have?
A
22
B
46
C
44
D
23
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of somatic cells: Somatic cells are any cells forming the body of an organism, excluding germ cells (sperm and egg). In humans, somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes.
Recall the number of chromosomes in humans: Humans have a total of 46 chromosomes in their somatic cells. This includes 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes.
Differentiate between autosomes and sex chromosomes: Autosomes are the non-sex chromosomes, and humans have 22 pairs of these, totaling 44 autosomes. The sex chromosomes determine the sex of an individual, and humans have 1 pair, which can be XX or XY.
Calculate the total number of chromosomes: Since somatic cells are diploid, they have two sets of chromosomes. Therefore, the total number of chromosomes is the sum of autosomes and sex chromosomes, which is 44 autosomes + 2 sex chromosomes = 46 chromosomes.
Verify the answer: The correct number of chromosomes in human somatic cells is 46, which matches the given correct answer in the problem statement.