Somatic genetic variants, long recognized by scientists, have garnered fresh attention due to an influx of related data. Somatic cells, excluding germ cells, are diploid cells that constitute the human body. Mutations in these cells can impact an individual but aren’t inherited by offspring. Errors during DNA replication after birth, known as somatic genetic mutations, occur during tissue turnover and accumulate with age. Some mutations enhance cell fitness, contributing to tumor formation. Such variations hold vital roles in cancer development, genetic diseases, and even beneficial changes. The “Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues” (SMaHT) Network, backed by $140 million from the U.S. government, aims to dissect somatic variants for biological and clinical insights.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Somatic Cells: Non-germ cells, forming the body and containing two sets of chromosomes. Mutations in these cells are not inherited.
- DNA Replication: The process of copying DNA during cell division, often with a low error rate, leading to somatic genetic mutations.
- Driver Mutations: Somatic mutations that enhance cell fitness and can contribute to tumor development.
- Somatic Mosaicism: Presence of cells with distinct genetic makeup within an individual’s body due to somatic genetic variations.
- SMaHT Network: “Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues” Network, established to explore somatic variants’ roles and enhance analysis for biological and clinical insights.
