What does cytokinesis mean?
Cytokinesis is the biological process by which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell is divided into two daughter cells, usually following the division of the nucleus during mitosis or meiosis. In animal cells, it typically proceeds through a contractile ring of actin and myosin filaments that constricts the plasma membrane, gradually pinching the cell into two; in plant cells, which possess rigid walls, a structure called the cell plate instead forms across the middle of the cell before maturing into new membranes and walls. The term derives from Greek roots relating to cells and movement, entering English through scientific usage in the late nineteenth century. Cytokinesis appears almost exclusively in academic and educational contexts — textbooks, research papers, and biology courses — where precision matters: it refers specifically to cytoplasmic division, not to nuclear division, which is termed karyokinesis or mitosis.
nounThe process by which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell divides into two daughter cells, typically following mitosis or meiosis. It marks the final physical separation stage of cell division.
- The division of a eukaryotic cell's cytoplasm, producing two daughter cells after nuclear division.
"Cytokinesis in animal cells involves a contractile ring of actin and myosin that pinches the membrane inward until the cell splits in two."
"In plant cells, cytokinesis occurs when a cell plate forms between the daughter nuclei rather than the membrane pinching inward."
"Researchers observed that the mutant cells completed mitosis normally but consistently failed at cytokinesis."
Rarely pluralized; biologists typically discuss individual instances of cytokinesis rather than multiple occurrences collectively.
"Different organisms exhibit variations in their cytokineses depending on cell structure."
Without cytokinesis, a dividing cell would just end up with two nuclei trapped inside one body — it's the step that actually makes one cell become two.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cytokinesis
The word cytokinesis was coined from Greek roots: 'kytos' meaning hollow vessel or cell, and 'kinesis' meaning motion or movement. It emerged as a term in cell biology during the late nineteenth century, alongside related terms such as mitosis and meiosis. The shared root 'kinesis' also underlies words like kinetic and cinema, all conveying the sense of motion.
How cytokinesis is actually used
A technical term used almost exclusively in biology, cell biology, and medicine; rarely encountered outside scientific writing and education.
Easily confused with cytokinesis
Mitosis is the division of the nucleus into two genetically identical nuclei, whereas cytokinesis is the separate process that divides the cytoplasm and cell membrane to produce two distinct daughter cells.