Cells that undergo cytokinesis:
* Single nucleus: They have a single nucleus, surrounded by cytoplasm and enclosed by a cell membrane.
* Distinct cell boundaries: The process of cytokinesis forms a cleavage furrow, which eventually pinches off the cell membrane, creating two daughter cells with distinct boundaries.
* Typical size: Cells generally maintain a relatively consistent size, as each division results in two smaller cells.
Cells that don't undergo cytokinesis:
* Multiple nuclei: They possess multiple nuclei within a single cell membrane.
* No distinct cell boundaries: Cytokinesis doesn't occur, so the cell doesn't divide into separate cells. They remain as a single, large multinucleate cell.
* Larger size: These cells tend to be significantly larger than single-nucleated cells due to the lack of division and accumulation of cytoplasm and nuclei.
Examples of Multinucleate Cells:
* Skeletal muscle fibers: These cells are formed by the fusion of many individual muscle cells, resulting in a single, large multinucleate cell.
* Some fungi: Certain fungal cells undergo nuclear division without cell division, leading to the formation of multinucleate hyphae.
* Some algae: Some algae species also exhibit multinucleate cells, with the number of nuclei varying depending on the species.
Overall: The key difference lies in the presence or absence of cytokinesis. While cells that undergo cytokinesis divide into two separate cells, those that don't maintain their multinucleate structure, resulting in a significantly different appearance and function.
