Which cellular process involves the division of the cytoplasm?

Cytokinesis is the process specifically dedicated to the division of the cytoplasm in a cell, which occurs after mitosis or meiosis. During cytokinesis, the cytoplasmic contents are split into two separate daughter cells, allowing each new cell to have its own set of organelles and sufficient cytoplasmic materials to function. This process is crucial for the overall cell division cycle, ensuring that once the genetic material is divided (during mitosis or meiosis), the physical division of the cell’s contents is correctly completed.

In contrast, mitosis and meiosis refer to the processes of nuclear division, where the genetic material is replicated and divided between two or four daughter nuclei, respectively, but do not themselves include the division of cytoplasm. Cellular respiration, on the other hand, is a metabolic process that converts biochemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and it does not involve any form of cell division. Thus, cytokinesis is the only process among the choices provided that directly pertains to the division of the cytoplasm.