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Cellular Basics

Cell Division

What are the major differences between cell division in plants and cell division in animals?

The major differences in plant and animal cell division are in the assembly of the spindle apparatus. The site of spindle apparatus assembly is the centrosome. In animal cells, a pair of centrioles is at the center of the centrosome. In contrast, most plants lack centrioles, but they do have a centrosome. In animal cells, a cleavage furrow forms during cytokinesis, which deepens and then pinches the parent cells in two. Plant cells, which have cell walls, do not have a cleavage furrow. Instead, a cell plate is produced in the middle of the parent cell, which grows toward the perimeter of the cell until it reaches the plasma membrane, dividing the cell in two. A new cell wall then forms from the cell plate.



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