What is the difference between karyokinesis and cytokinesis?

Preeti Taneja

Entrepreneur | Posted on 12-Jun-2019

Our cells reproduce, divide and grow. Some die, others live. Those live, they further reproduce, divide and grow. This is an on-going process that continues from the day we're born till the day we die.

Now, when our cells divide, the process is classified into two processes called karyokinesis and cytokinesis.

(Courtesy: Liberal Dictionary)

Karyokinesis is the process of division of the nucleus of a cell. Meaning, when the nucleus of our cells divides, we call that process karyokinesis. Nucleus gets divided into two nuclei.

Cytokinesis, on the other hand, is the process of the cytoplasm of the cell. Meaning, when the cytoplasm of our cells divides, we call that process cytokinesis. Cytoplasm gets divided into daughter cells.

Karyokinesis happens first. And it is essentially needed for cytokinesis to happen. So, cytokinesis is depended on Karyokinesis. In it, the metaphase is the second step. In karyokinesis, metaphase is the first step.

These are some broad and fundamental differences between karyokinesis and cytokinesis.

Hope this answers your question.

Shikha Kudesia

Content writer and teacher also | Posted on 20-Aug-2019

Both these terms represent a process that is the part of the human reproductive system. There is a process of division of cells in the human body, which are used for them. During the cell cycle, there is a division of the nucleus in which the first stage is karyokinesis and only after that, the cytokinesis occurs. After both of these processes a child born. After mitosis in cytokinesis, the cytoplasm is divided into two parts of the daughter’s corpus. In this way, the basic difference between these two processes is not only of the process but also of the time and the result. Let us try to understand these in some depth.

Letsdiskuss

Karyokinesis is the first stage of the cell cycle while cytokinesis is the second stage. Two nuclei of the baby are formed by division of nucleus from karyokinesis. Whereas in cytokinesis two parts of the baby are formed by two parts of the parent’s cytoplasm. In karyokinesis, two nuclei are formed from the chromosome of the baby. Whereas in cytokinesis two cells are formed from the similar division of genetic material when organelles in cytokinesis divide into the baby’s cell.