Compare cytokinesis in animal cells and plant cells.

Sourav PanSeptember 4, 2024

Answered

Cytokinesis, the process of dividing the cytoplasm of a parent cell into two daughter cells, differs between animal and plant cells:

Animal Cells

• Method: Cytokinesis in animal cells occurs through a process called cleavage furrow.
• Mechanism: A contractile ring composed of actin and myosin filaments forms just beneath the plasma membrane at the center of the cell. As the ring contracts, it pinches the cell membrane inward, creating a cleavage furrow that eventually divides the cell into two separate daughter cells.
• Result: The result is two daughter cells with separate membranes and identical contents.

Plant Cells

• Method: Cytokinesis in plant cells occurs through the formation of a cell plate.
• Mechanism: During cytokinesis, vesicles containing cell wall materials (such as pectin) accumulate at the center of the cell where the metaphase plate was. These vesicles fuse to form a cell plate that extends outward and eventually fuses with the cell membrane. The cell plate develops into a new cell wall that separates the two daughter cells.
• Result: The result is two daughter cells each with a new cell wall and a plasma membrane, which completes the cell division process.