Wiktionary
n. (context cytology English) Any normal cell of an organism that is not involved in reproduction; a cell that is not on the germline.
WordNet
n. any of the cells of a plant or animal except the reproductive cells; a cell that does not participate in the production of gametes; "somatic cells are produced from preexisting cells"; [syn: vegetative cell]
Wikipedia
A somatic (Greek: σὠμα/soma = body) or ' vegetal cell' is any biological cell forming the body of an organism; that is, in a multicellular organism, any cell other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte or undifferentiated stem cell.
In contrast, gametes are cells that fuse during sexual reproduction, germ cells are cells that give rise to gametes, and stem cells are cells that can divide through mitosis and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types. For example, in mammals, somatic cells make up all the internal organs, skin, bones, blood and connective tissue, while mammalian germ cells give rise to spermatozoa and ova which fuse during fertilization to produce a cell called a zygote, which divides and differentiates into the cells of an embryo. There are approximately 220 types of somatic cells in the human body.
The word "somatic" is derived from the Greek word sōma, meaning "body".
Usage examples of "somatic cell".
Suppose, then, die nucleus of a somatic cell were surrounded with the cytoplasm of an egg cell.
Would it go on to form an individual with the genetic equipment of the original somatic cell and, therefore, of the person from whom the somatic cell was taken?
If so, the new organism would be a clone of the person who donated the somatic cell.
A clone was grown from a customer's somatic cell, gestated in a uterine replicator and then raised to physical maturity in Bharaputra's creche, a sort of astonishingly-appointed orphanage.
A somatic cell nucleus is inserted in an enucleated ovum and reimplanted in the womb.
A clone was grown from a customer's somatic cell, gestated in a uterine replicator and then raised to physical maturity in Bharaputra's crè.