How many pairs of chromosomes are there in a human somatic cell?
A21 pairs
B22 pairs
C23 pairs
D24 pairs
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. 23 pairs
1. A human somatic cell contains 46 chromosomes in total.
2. These are organised as 23 pairs of chromosomes.
3. Of these, 22 pairs are autosomes (identical in both sexes).
4. The remaining one pair are sex chromosomes (XX or XY).
5. So a human somatic cell has 23 chromosome pairs.
_Source: NCERT Class 10 Science Ch 9 'Heredity' (learncbse.in extract)_
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