The
cell cycle begins with
interphase when the DNA replicates, the cell grows and prepares to enter mitosis.
Mitosis includes four phases:
prophase,
metaphase,
anaphase, and
telophase. Prophase is the initial phase when
spindle fibers appear that function to move the
chromosomes toward opposite poles. This spindle apparatus consists of microtubules, microfilaments and a complex network of various proteins. During metaphase, the chromosomes line up using the spindle apparatus in the middle of the cell along the equatorial plate. The chromosomes move to opposite poles during anaphase and remain attached to the spindle fibers by their centromeres. Animal cell cleavage furrow formation is caused by a ring of actin microfilaments called the contractile ring, which forms during early anaphase. Myosin is present in the region of the contractile ring as concentrated microfilaments and actin filaments are predominant in this region. The actin filaments here are both pre-existing and new. Cleavage is driven by these
motor proteins, actin and myosin, which are the same proteins involved with muscle contraction. During cellular cleavage, the contractile ring tightens around the
cytoplasm of the cell until the cytoplasm is pinched into two daughter cells. During the final phase of mitosis, telophase, the furrow forms an intercellular bridge using mitotic spindle fibers.
Phosphatidylethanolamine has been shown to be present during this time, which indicates that it may play a role in movement between the plasma membrane and contractile ring. The bridge is then broken and resealed to form two identical daughter cells during cytokinesis. The breakage is formed by microtubules and the resealing is negated by
calcium dependent exocytosis using Golgi vesicles. The cleavage furrow mechanism in animal cells is a complex network of actin and myosin filaments, Golgi vesicles and calcium dependent channels enabling the cell to break apart, reseal and form new daughter cells with complete membranes. ==References==