Cytokinesis is the final step of cell division, where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two daughter cells. It occurs after the completion of mitosis, the process of nuclear division.
In animal cells, cytokinesis is achieved through a process known as cleavage furrow formation. The cell membrane pinches inward along the center of the cell, driven by a contractile ring of actin filaments, until the cell is pinched into two separate daughter cells.
In plant cells, cytokinesis occurs through a process known as cell plate formation. A structure called the phragmoplast forms at the center of the cell, and vesicles containing cell wall materials fuse to form a new cell wall, dividing the cell into two daughter cells.
- In animal cells, cytokinesis is characterized by the formation of a cleavage furrow that pinches the cell membrane.
- In plant cells, cytokinesis involves the formation of a cell plate that develops into a new cell wall.