National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

In which process do plant cells differ from animal cells during nuclear division?

1. Homologous chromosomes are paired

2. Centrioles are replicated

3. Spindle fibers are missing

4. Cell plates are synthesized

The correct answer is: Cell plates are synthesized

During nuclear division, plant cells differ from animal cells primarily in the formation of a cell plate. In plant cell division, particularly during cytokinesis, a structure known as the cell plate forms along the center of the dividing cell. This process involves the fusion of vesicles that contain components necessary for building the new cell wall, which separates the two daughter cells. Animal cells, on the other hand, undergo a process called cleavage, where the cell membrane is pinched inwards to create two separate cells without the formation of a cell plate. This fundamental difference underscores the unique structural characteristics of plant cells, as they are surrounded by a rigid cell wall that requires a distinct mechanism of separation during division. The synthesis of the cell plate is therefore a defining feature of plant cell division, emphasizing their differences compared to animal cells.