Question

Which is an accurate comparison of cytokinesis in animal and plant cells?A) Animal cells divide by forming a cleavage furrow, while plant cells divide by forming a cell plate.

B) Animal cells divide by forming a cell plate, while plant cells divide by forming a cleavage furrow.
C) Animal cells and plant cells divide by forming a cell plate.
D) Animal cells and plant cells divide by forming a cleavage furrow.

Answer 1

Animal cells undergo cytokinesis by forming a cleavage furrow due to the contraction of actin filaments, whereas plant cells form a cell plate with the help of Golgi-derived vesicles that become new cell walls, accommodating their rigid structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

An accurate comparison of cytokinesis in animal and plant cells is that animal cells divide by forming a cleavage furrow, while plant cells divide by creating a cell plate.

In animal cells, a ring of actin filaments contracts at the metaphase plate to form the cleavage furrow. This indentation deepens, splitting the cell in two.

Conversely, plant cells, having a rigid cell wall, require a different mechanism. Vesicles derived from the Golgi apparatus coalesce at the metaphase plate to form a phragmoplast, which further develops into a cell plate. The cell plate enlarges until it fuses with the cell membrane, which eventually generates new cell walls that segregate the daughter cells.