Difference between Somatic Chromosomes and Sex Chromosomes

Somatic Chromosomes: These are chromosomes that control physical characteristics. There are twenty-two pairs of somatic chromosomes. A pair of identical chromosomes together forms a homologous chromosome. One of these is inherited from the mother and the other from the father. 

Sex Chromosomes :These are the chromosomes which are involved in sex determination. They are of two types: X chromosome and Y chromosome. The Y chromosome is comparatively smaller than that of the X chromosome. The SRY gene on the Y chromosome is responsible for the development of testis in the embryo.

Somatic Chromosomes vs Sex Chromosomes 

Feature	Somatic Chromosomes	Sex Chromosomes
Type	Non-sex chromosomes	Sex chromosomes
Function	Determine general body traits (e.g., eye color, height)	Determine the sex of an organism
Number	Occur in pairs (homologous pairs) of 22 in humans	Occur in pairs (homologous) or unpaired
Inheritance	Inherited one from each parent	Inheritance patterns vary depending on the organism
Gene Content	Carry genes for various traits unrelated to sex	Carry genes determining sex and other traits
Homologous Pairs	Always homologous (same size, shape, and gene arrangement)	May be homologous or non-homologous (e.g., X and Y chromosomes in humans)
Recombination	Undergo genetic recombination during meiosis	May or may not undergo recombination depending on the organism
Examples	Chromosomes 1-22 in humans	X and Y chromosomes in humans