What Does
Germ Plasm Mean?
The germ plasm is the living part of a cell that has divided from a somatic cell and contains half of the chromosomes necessary for sexual reproduction with a cell of the opposite sex to form a new individual which contains the genetic traits of both parents. It is a colorless material which contains the chromosomes and all the other living parts of the cell.
Safeopedia Explains Germ Plasm
A germ cell is not to be confused with a somatic cell. Somatic cells make up the entire organism and contain the total number of chromosomes within the plasm (the colorless material which contains the living parts of the cell), while germ cells contain only half the number of chromosomes and are cells used for sexual reproduction by splitting chromosomes of parents and recombining them to maintain genetic diversity within a species.