Cytokinesis usually produces two new cells
After a cell copies and separates its DNA, cytokinesis splits the cytoplasm to produce two new daughter cells. The word 'usually' matters — the process can occasionally fail.
Real World
When cytokinesis fails in developing muscle fibres (myoblasts), the result is a single large cell with multiple nuclei — this is normal and intentional in skeletal muscle, giving each fibre the gene expression capacity to control a large volume of cytoplasm.
Exam Focus
Distinguish animal cytokinesis (cleavage furrow) from plant cytokinesis (cell plate) — exam questions often target this comparison specifically.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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