noun
- Plural of phragmoplast; structures formed during plant cell division that help build the cell plate and new cell wall between daughter cells.
Usage: biology; botany; technical term
Examples
- During cytokinesis in plant cells, phragmoplasts organize microtubules and direct vesicle transport to the cell plate.
- The phragmoplasts ensure proper formation of the new cell wall separating the two daughter cells.
- Researchers observed phragmoplasts under the electron microscope to study cell division mechanisms.
- Phragmoplasts are unique to plant cells and do not occur in animal cell division.