Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
How many chromosome pairs occur in a normal human somatic cell?
A
46 pairs
B
24 pairs
C
22 pairs
D
23 pairs
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that a somatic cell is any cell of the body except sperm and egg cells. Somatic cells are diploid, meaning they contain two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.
Recognize that humans have a total of 46 chromosomes in their somatic cells. These chromosomes are organized into pairs.
Each pair consists of one chromosome from the mother and one from the father, making a total of 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Recall that the 23 pairs include 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX for females and XY for males).
Conclude that the correct number of chromosome pairs in a normal human somatic cell is 23 pairs.