Differences in plant and animal cell division a. animal cells furrow, plant cells do not b. plant cells divide once, animals divide twice c. animal cells have cell plate, plants furrow d. there is no difference
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a. animal cells furrow, plant cells do not.
Cell division in both plant and animal cells occurs through a process called mitosis, which ensures that the resulting daughter cells have the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell. However, there are key differences in how the cells physically divide, particularly during the final stage of division known as cytokinesis.
In animal cells, cytokinesis involves a process called cleavage. During this process, the cell membrane pinches inward along the center of the cell. This pinching, which forms a groove known as a cleavage furrow, is caused by a ring of actin filaments that contract, pulling the membrane tighter until the cell is pinched in two. This results in the formation of two separate daughter cells. This mechanism is due to the flexibility of the animal cell membrane, which allows it to fold and form the furrow.
In contrast, plant cells undergo a slightly different process. Instead of pinching inwards, plant cells form a cell plate at the center of the cell during cytokinesis. The cell plate is made of vesicles containing materials like cellulose. These vesicles fuse together at the center of the cell, and as they fill with cellulose, they gradually form a new cell wall that divides the cell into two. Since plant cells have rigid cell walls that cannot simply pinch together like animal cells, they must build a new wall to separate the two daughter cells.
In summary, the main difference in cytokinesis between plant and animal cells is the method of division: animal cells use a furrowing mechanism, while plant cells form a cell plate that develops into a new cell wall.