Explain the following terms:
Karyokinesis:
Topic: Karyokinesis
Try it
Pick an option and check your answer. The full worked answer is below either way.
Answer
(a) It is the division of nucleus during cell division.
The word defines itself: KARYO- means nucleus and -KINESIS means division or movement. So karyokinesis is the division of the NUCLEUS.
Option (b) is CYTOKINESIS — CYTO- means cell or cytoplasm. The two words are built the same way and differ only in their first half, which is exactly what the question is testing.
THE ORDER, and the reason for it: karyokinesis comes FIRST and cytokinesis follows. The nucleus must divide and the two sets of chromosomes reach opposite poles before the cytoplasm can be split, otherwise a daughter cell might end up with no nucleus at all.
Karyokinesis has four stages — prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase — while cytokinesis has none.
It is the division of nucleus during cell division.