NES Elementary Education Subtest 2 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Somatic chromosomes, also known as autosomes, are part of the human genome that do not determine sex. Humans typically have 23 pairs of chromosomes, which makes a total of 46 individual chromosomes. Out of these, one pair consists of the sex chromosomes (XX or XY), which are involved in determining an individual's sex. The remaining 22 pairs are classified as somatic chromosomes.

Since we are focusing on the total number of pairs classified as somatic chromosomes, we recognize that there are 22 pairs of autosomes. This understanding is crucial for studying genetics, inheritance patterns, and human biology, as somatic chromosomes carry the majority of genetic information unrelated to sex.