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Article: Cytokinesis
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Cytokinesis
Cytokinesis is the process by which a cell divides its
cytoplasm
to produce two daughter cells. As the final step in cell division after
mitosis
, cytokinesis is a carefully orchestrated process that signals the start of a new cellular generation. The separation of one cell into two is accomplished by a structure called the contractile ring. The contractile ring is a structure believed to operate in a way similar to muscle. A molecular motor, myosin, contracts the actin filaments that form the contractile ring tighter and tighter until the cell is pinched in two. The contraction of the contractile ring has been likened to tightening a purse string to close the top of a ...