[Campbell Biology P.300] Through a microscope, you observe a cell in the process of division... | Practice Question

Through a microscope, you observe a cell in the process of division. You can clearly see a new structure forming at the cell's equator, extending outwards, which appears to be partitioning the cytoplasm. Additionally, distinct nuclei are becoming visible at opposite poles of the cell. Based on these observations, which of the following best describes this cell and its stage?

  • A: An animal cell undergoing cytokinesis by cleavage.
  • B: A plant cell in the process of cytokinesis.
  • C: A bacterial cell undergoing binary fission.
  • D: A plant cell in prophase.

Explanation

The observation of a 'cell plate beginning to develop across the middle of a cell and nuclei forming on either side of the cell plate' is explicitly described as characteristic of cytokinesis in plant cells in the provided text. Animal cells undergo cleavage, and bacterial cells undergo binary fission, neither of which involves a cell plate. Prophase is a stage of nuclear division, not cytoplasmic division.