Final answer:
Pediatric GIST can be caused by an inherited or a de novo germline mutation, both of which are present in germ cells and can be passed on to offspring. Somatic mutations, however, are not typically linked to GIST since they occur in non-germ cells and are not hereditary.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pediatric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) can be caused by genetic mutations. The mutations that can result in GIST are typically either an inherited germline mutation or a de novo germline mutation. Inherited germline mutations are heritable and occur in the sex cells, meaning they can be passed on to offspring.
De novo mutations, on the other hand, are new mutations that occur in the germ cell and were not present in the parents' DNA. These mutations have the potential to be passed to offspring if they occur in germ cells. Inherited somatic and de novo somatic mutations are not typically associated with GISTs, as somatic mutations occur in non-germ cells and cannot be passed on to the next generation.