Cytokineses

Part of speech: noun, plural

Definitions

1. The process in which a cell divides its cytoplasm to form two daughter cells during cell division
2. The mechanism that ensures the physical separation of cellular components following mitosis or meiosis
3. A critical stage in cellular reproduction where the cytoplasmic contents are distributed between the two resultant cells

Etymology: "Cytokineses" is simply the plural of "cytokinesis," the process by which a cell's cytoplasm is divided so that two daughter cells emerge from one. The plural form is what you would use when discussing several separate instances of this division, such as cells dividing across a tissue or in different experiments. The word is built from two Greek-derived parts. "Cyto-" comes from the Greek "kytos," meaning "hollow vessel" or "cell," the same root that gives English "cell" its sense in biology. "-kinesis" comes from the Greek "kinesis," meaning "movement" or "motion," which also underlies words like "kinetic." Put together, the term describes movement of the cell's contents, specifically their division.

Synonyms: cell division, cellular division, cytoplasmic division