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Related Concept Videos

Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Distribution of Cytoplasmic Content02:33

Distribution of Cytoplasmic Content

Cytokinesis segregates a cell’s chromosomes and organelles into its daughter cells. Organelles divide and grow prior to cell division but cannot be synthesized de novo; therefore, cells must receive at least one copy of each organelle to survive. Currently, many of the details of how the organelles are distributed are not yet fully elucidated.
Distribution of cytoplasmic determinants
The cytoplasm contains various organelles, as well as salts, proteins, and water. The distribution of small...
Animal and Plant Cell Structure01:30

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during cell...
Determining the Plane of Cell Division02:13

Determining the Plane of Cell Division

Positioning the cell division plane is a critical step during development and cell differentiation, particularly during mitosis when the plane is essential for determining the size of the two daughter cells. The cell division plane is perpendicular to the plane of chromosome segregation, but different types of organisms have different cell division mechanisms to suit their morphology and function. 
Animal cells
In animal cells, the cleavage furrow forms along the plane of cell division starting...
Cell Diversity01:13

Cell Diversity

The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
Multicellular organisms...
Cellular Differentiation00:57

Cellular Differentiation

How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Live Imaging of Drosophila Larval Neuroblasts
09:50

Live Imaging of Drosophila Larval Neuroblasts

Published on: July 7, 2014

Plant asymmetric cell division, vive la différence!

Frank L H Menke1, Ben Scheres

  • 1Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands. f.l.h.menke@uu.nl

Cell
|July 1, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Plant cell division is complex, but new research highlights similarities with yeast and animals. Discoveries also reveal regulated cell expansion as a novel mechanism for plant asymmetric cell division.

Area of Science:

  • Plant biology
  • Cellular mechanisms
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Asymmetric cell division is crucial for development in many organisms.
  • The regulation of asymmetric cell division in plants remains largely unknown.
  • Recent findings offer insights into plant-specific mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the regulatory mechanisms of asymmetric cell division in plants.
  • To identify parallels and divergences with asymmetric division in other eukaryotes.
  • To investigate the role of regulated cell expansion in plant development.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of recent discoveries.
  • Literature review of plant, yeast, and animal cell division.
  • Identification of emerging regulatory pathways.

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Analysis of Multidimensional Microscopy Data Using Cell-ACDC

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Live Imaging of Drosophila Larval Neuroblasts
09:50

Live Imaging of Drosophila Larval Neuroblasts

Published on: July 7, 2014

Live-Cell Imaging of Drosophila melanogaster Third Instar Larval Brains
07:06

Live-Cell Imaging of Drosophila melanogaster Third Instar Larval Brains

Published on: June 23, 2023

Analysis of Multidimensional Microscopy Data Using Cell-ACDC
06:17

Analysis of Multidimensional Microscopy Data Using Cell-ACDC

Published on: November 7, 2025

Main Results:

  • Parallels exist between plant, yeast, and animal asymmetric cell division.
  • Regulated cell expansion emerges as a distinct mechanism in plants.
  • New starting points for understanding plant cell polarity.

Conclusions:

  • Asymmetric cell division in plants shares some conserved features with other eukaryotes.
  • Regulated cell expansion represents a novel mechanism contributing to plant development.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate these plant-specific processes.