Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a key difference between cell division in animal cells and plant cells?
A
Animal cells form a cell plate during cytokinesis, while plant cells form a cleavage furrow.
B
Animal cells undergo mitosis without spindle fibers, while plant cells use spindle fibers.
C
Plant cells form a cell plate during cytokinesis, while animal cells form a cleavage furrow.
D
Plant cells divide by binary fission, while animal cells divide by mitosis.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the process of cytokinesis in both animal and plant cells. Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two daughter cells.
In animal cells, cytokinesis occurs through the formation of a cleavage furrow. This is a contractile ring composed of actin and myosin filaments that pinches the cell membrane inward, eventually splitting the cell into two.
In plant cells, cytokinesis occurs through the formation of a cell plate. This process involves the assembly of vesicles from the Golgi apparatus at the center of the cell, which coalesce to form a new cell wall that separates the two daughter cells.
Recognize that spindle fibers are involved in both animal and plant cell mitosis, helping to separate chromosomes during cell division. Therefore, the presence or absence of spindle fibers is not a distinguishing factor between the two.
Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction seen in prokaryotes, not in plant or animal cells. Both plant and animal cells undergo mitosis, so this is not a correct distinction.