Comparison Of Cytokinesis In Animal Cells

Learning Journal Unit 4

Describe the similarities and differences between the cytokinesis mechanisms found in animal cells versus those in plant cells

Cytokinesis is defined as the division of cytoplasm to form two different daughter cells straight after mitosis, (Deena T Kochunni, Jazir Haneef, n.d.). The main difference in cytokinesis between an animal cell and a plant cell, is that animals cells do not have any cell walls, but a cleavage is formed in the centre of the cell, where as in plant cells there is a rigid cell wall that needs to be split.

In an animal cell, a cleavage is formed first of all in the middle of the cell which needs to be divided, the cleavage then deepens until it meets the membrane and then the cell eventually divides, this is refered to as anaphase, (OpenStax College, & Rice University, 2014, p.?283).

During cytokinesis in animal cells, (OpenStax College, & Rice University, 2014, p.?283). Reprinted with permission.

However plant cells, are not capable of developing a cleaveage in the middle of the cell and therefore develop a Golgi vesicles row, ("Difference between Cytokinesis in Plant and Animal Cells," 2016). The golgi vesicles are formed in the middle region of the cells during the cytokinesis phase, and it is during this phase that telophase of the cell plate is formed. This type of cytokinesis only takes place in higher plants, while in the lower plants a form of cleavage cytokinesis takes place, Figure 2, ("Difference between Cytokinesis in Plant and Animal Cells,"