Question

Plane of formation of the cell plate in a plant cell is governed by

• A. Phragmoplast
• B. Nucleus
• C. Centriole
• D. Microtubules

Hint:

In animal cell cytokinesis, division is achieved by a "cleavage furrow" made of actin and myosin. In plant cells, cytokinesis is guided by the "Phragmoplast," which acts as a scaffold to build the cell plate from the inside out.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Cytokinesis in plant cells differs from animal cells because of the presence of a rigid cell wall.
Instead of forming a cleavage furrow, plant cells divide by building a new cell plate from the center of the cell outward toward the existing cell wall.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
During telophase in plant cells, a specialized structure called the phragmoplast forms at the equator of the dividing cell.
The phragmoplast is composed of a complex network of microtubules, microfilaments, and endoplasmic reticulum elements.
It serves as a physical scaffold that guides the transport and fusion of Golgi-derived vesicles containing cell wall components (like pectin and hemicellulose) to the equatorial plane.
The fusion of these vesicles forms the cell plate.
Therefore, the phragmoplast directly governs the alignment and plane of cell plate assembly.
Let us review the other options:
Centriole (C): Plant cells lack centrioles.
Microtubules (D): While microtubules are structural components of the phragmoplast, the phragmoplast itself is the specialized organelle complex that organizes them to guide the cell plate.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The plane of cell plate formation is governed by the Phragmoplast, which corresponds to option (A).