how many chromosomes are in each of the cells that make up the human body?

Each typical human body cell contains 46 chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs.

Basic answer

• Human somatic (body) cells normally have 46 chromosomes in total.

• These are organized as 23 pairs: 22 pairs of autosomes plus 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX or XY).

• Sperm and egg cells are different; each has 23 single chromosomes, so that fertilization restores the total to 46.

Quick Scoop: extra context

• The “46 chromosomes” figure applies to almost all cells that have a nucleus, such as skin, muscle, and nerve cells.

• Red blood cells are an exception because mature human red blood cells have no nucleus and therefore no chromosomes.

• Some medical conditions involve having more or fewer than 46 chromosomes, for example Down syndrome, where most cells have 47 chromosomes due to an extra copy of chromosome 21.

In forum discussions, people sometimes say “humans have 23 chromosomes” when they mean “23 pairs,” but the total per typical body cell is 46.

TL;DR: A normal human body cell has 46 chromosomes (23 pairs); sperm and egg cells have 23 each.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.