Telokinesis is a term coined by combining the Greek words telos, meaning end or goal, and kinesis, meaning movement. The word is pronounced /ˌtɛləʊkɪˈniːsɪs/ with the phonetic transcription indicating that the letter "e" is pronounced as "eh" and "o" is pronounced as "oh." The "kine" in kinesis is pronounced like "kai" and the "sis" at the end is pronounced like "sis" in assist. Telokinesis refers to the movement of an organism towards its end goal, like a plant growing towards the light.
Telokinesis refers to the biological process involving the division or separation of a cell's cytoplasm into two daughter cells following nuclear division. It is a vital step in the cell cycle known as cytokinesis, which ensures the proper distribution of the cell's genetic material into new cells.
During telokinesis, a cell undergoes various structural changes leading to the formation of a cleavage furrow or a cell plate, depending on the type of cell involved. In animal cells, the plasma membrane contracts inwardly, creating a furrow that progressively deepens until the cell is split into two daughter cells. On the other hand, plant cells form a cell plate consisting of new cell wall material synthesized by the Golgi apparatus. This plate expands outwardly and eventually fuses with the existing cell wall, dividing the cell.
Telokinesis is tightly regulated by the cell's internal machinery, including cytoskeletal elements like microtubules and contractile proteins. It is orchestrated by complex signaling pathways and requires the coordinated actions of various cellular components to ensure the accurate and equal segregation of genetic material into the resultant daughter cells.
This dynamic process allows for the growth, development, and maintenance of multicellular organisms by allowing cells to reproduce and multiply. Understanding telokinesis is crucial in fields such as developmental biology, cancer research, and regenerative medicine, where abnormalities in cell division can have significant implications.