英和和英

出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/02/06 02:01 UTC 版)

英語による解説

引用

The term somatic (from the Greek σωματικός) means 'of the body'. It is often used in biology to refer to the cells of the body in contrast to the cells in the germline which give rise to the gametes (eggs or sperm). These somatic cells are diploid containing two copies of each chromosome, whereas the germ cells are haploid as they only contain one copy of each chromosome. Although under normal circumstances all somatic cells contain identical DNA, they develop a variety of tissue-specific characteristics. This process is called differentiation, through epigenetic and regulatory alterations. The grouping of like cells and tissues creates the foundation for organs.