How does cytokinesis in plant cells differ from that in animal cells?
In animal cells, cytokinesis is achieved by the appearance of a furrow in the plasma membrane. The furrow gradually deepens and ultimately joins in the centre dividing the cell cytoplasm into two. Due to the presence of cell walls, cytokinesis is different in plants. In plants, wall formation starts in the centre of the cell and grows outward to meet the existing lateral walls. The formation of the new cell wall begins with the formation of a simple precursor, called the cell plate that represents the middle lamella between the walls of two adjacent cells. Organelles like mitochondria and plastids get distributed between the two daughter cells during this process.
