The major difference in plant cell division compared with mammalian cell division is that

• A. Chromosomes condense first
• B. Spindle forms differently
• C. Cell plates are synthesized
• D. Nuclear envelope remains intact

Answer: (C)

The big difference is how the cytoplasm divides after the nucleus has been divided. Plant cells build a cell plate at the center as vesicles from the Golgi fuse together to form a separating cell wall, gradually growing outward until it splits the cell into two, each with its own wall. In contrast, mammalian (animal) cells pinch the membrane inward with a contractile actin ring to form a cleavage furrow, cutting the cell into two without creating a cell plate. So the synthesis of a cell plate is the defining feature that sets plant cell division apart. Chromosome condensation and spindle formation occur in both, and while the behavior of the nuclear envelope changes during mitosis, it isn’t the characteristic difference here.