cell plate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (specialist term)Formal, Technical, Academic
Quick answer
What does “cell plate” mean?
In plant cell biology: the initial structure that forms during cytokinesis, marking the boundary where the new cell wall will develop and separating the two daughter nuclei.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In plant cell biology: the initial structure that forms during cytokinesis, marking the boundary where the new cell wall will develop and separating the two daughter nuclei.
The early, disc-like structure composed of membrane vesicles and cell wall materials that assembles at the equator of a dividing plant cell, eventually expanding outward to fuse with the parent cell wall and complete cell division.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or usage differences. The term is used identically in both varieties within scientific discourse.
Connotations
None beyond its precise scientific definition.
Frequency
Equally rare and specialized in both varieties, confined to biology textbooks, research papers, and advanced education.
Grammar
How to Use “cell plate” in a Sentence
The cell plate VERB (forms/develops/matures).Scientists observed the cell plate.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cell plate” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The vesicles will cell-plate the division plane. (Note: 'cell-plate' as a verb is highly non-standard and rare)
American English
- The phragmoplast helps to cell-plate the new boundary. (Note: 'cell-plate' as a verb is highly non-standard and rare)
adjective
British English
- The cell-plate formation process is microtubule-dependent.
American English
- Researchers studied cell-plate assembly mutants.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in biology, botany, and plant physiology lectures, textbooks, and research papers to describe a key stage of plant cell division.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary context. Used in laboratory reports, scientific discussions, and detailed descriptions of cellular processes.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cell plate”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cell plate”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cell plate”
- Using 'cell plate' to refer to a Petri dish or culture plate. (Correct: 'culture plate', 'Petri dish').
- Applying the term to animal cell division. (Correct for animals: 'cleavage furrow').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Animal cells use a cleavage furrow, not a cell plate, to divide their cytoplasm.
It matures into the middle lamella and primary cell wall between the two new daughter cells.
Yes, with a good quality light microscope, especially using specific stains, the cell plate can be observed as a thin line forming between daughter nuclei.
It is guided and assembled by a structure called the phragmoplast, which is composed of microtubules and actin filaments.
In plant cell biology: the initial structure that forms during cytokinesis, marking the boundary where the new cell wall will develop and separating the two daughter nuclei.
Cell plate is usually formal, technical, academic in register.
Cell plate: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsel ˌpleɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɛl ˌpleɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a dinner plate being set down between two place settings at a table. The 'cell plate' is like that plate, being laid down between two new plant 'cells' (place settings) to separate them.
Conceptual Metaphor
CELL PLATE IS A GROWING BARRIER / CELL PLATE IS A CONSTRUCTION SITE (where the new wall is assembled).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of the cell plate?