Do all the non sex cells (somatic cells) in your body have the same DNA?

Answer 1

YES, all cells have the EXACT same DNA (minus any somatic mutations, but thats negligible). However, our cells are involved in a process called EPIGENETICS, where in some cells of the body, one copy of a gene (maternal lets say) is inactivated by a process called IMPRINTING, and in other cells, the OTHER copy is imprinted (paternal). There are disorders related to imprinting, but it would take me a whole lecture to explain the whole process to you. So you should know that in all somatic cells, essentially the DNA is exactly the same.

"Emucom" adds another good point about B and T cell development, where something called VDJ rearrangement occurs, and the DNA of lymphoid precursor stem cells (cells that develop into B and T cells) is rearranged to recognize a huge variety of antigens. The term for this is SOMATIC HYPERMUTATION.

Answer 2

Your teacher wants you to answer "yes." It's almost true. Here are a couple of exceptions:

1. Erythrocytes (red blood cells) do not have nuclei, and are therefore bereft of the nuclear DNA that other cells have.

2. Some of the cells of the immune system specialize, splicing to make the genes for the active sites of the immunoglobulins.

Answer 3

yes