How many times have your cells divided?
You have about
200 trillion
somatic cells, all derived from a single zygote by mitosis.
Each round of mitosis produces 2 daughter cells:
- 10 rounds gives 210 = 1024 cells, about 1 thousand.
- 20 rounds gives 220 = 1,048,576 cells., about 1 million
- 30 rounds gives 230 = 1,073,741,824 cells, about 1 billion.
- 40 rounds gives 240 = 1,099,511,627,776 cells, about 1 trillion.
So, your average cell has divided about 48 times since the zygote stage to reach 200 trillion.
This calculation does not include gametes: eggs and sperm.
Due to telomeric shortening, humans have a "Hayflick limit" of about 52 cell divisions before cellular death.