In
biology and
genetics, the germline of a mature or
developing individual is the line (sequence) of
germ cells that have genetic material that may be passed to a child.For example,
sex cells, such as the
sperm or the
egg, are part of the germline. So are the cells that produce sex cells, called
gametocytes, the cells that produce those, called
gametogonia, and all the way back to the
zygote, the cell from which the individual developed.Cells that are not in the germline are called
somatic cells. For example, all cells of the mammalian liver are somatic. If there is a
mutation or other genetic change in the germline, it can be passed to offspring, but a change in a somatic cell will not be.
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Genetic material transmitted from one generation to the next through the gametes. A germ line mutation exists in all cells of the offspring formed from that gamete.