Plant cells can survive without centrioles. Unlike animal cells, plant cells have the ability to reproduce even without the centrioles, meaning they have a different way of cell division.
Centrioles are seen in the process of mitosis and meiosis. All animal cells have two small organelles known as centrioles which play a major role in cell division but plants do not have them because they have microtubules instead.
Plants are able to create a circular loop of microtubules around the future plane of division prior to prophase, rather than centrosome.
One of the important functions that centrioles perform is the generation of cilia and flagella for cells. These are surface features that cells use for movement.
The cells of higher plants have no centrioles because there's no cell anywhere throughout their life cycles which makes cilia or flagella. A cell can make a spindle without centrioles, but it can't make cilia or flagella.
For more info, see:
- COD.edu - Cell Structure
- TutorVista.com - Centrioles
- Course-Notes.org - AP Biology
Learn how to study biology easily with the best study tips and techniques from Examtime.com.