Coenocytic Cell
A coenocytic cell has more than one nucleus. They are typical of some fungi and some protists like algae and especially slime molds. You'll also find coenocytic cells in some endosperms as well, possibly a holdover from evolutionary history.
The multiple nuclei of a coenocytic cell typically result from multiple nuclear divisions within the cell without an accompanying cellular division, but it can also result from cellular aggregation that is followed by the dissolution of the cellular membrane in the mass, resulting in a much larger cell that has multiple nuclei. This latter process is most typical of the slime molds.
In angiosperms, the coenocytic cells are in the female gametophyte – the unfertilized seed. Angiosperm gametophytes have a number of peculiar features, including the possession of chromosomes in sets of three, not two. And as the nuclear division in the cell continues, the amount of DNA per nucleus increases. The coenocytic features of angiosperms are due to the fact that nuclear division takes place in the beginning without cell wall formation, creating cellular structures with multiple nuclei. Later, the cytoplasm of the coenocyte is partitioned, which results in single-nucleated cells.
Web Resources On Coenocytic Cell
Septum
Fungal sporangium and coencytic hypha in yellow poplar wood
Book Resources On Coenocytic CellThe movement of protoplasm in coenocytic hyphae by Joseph Charles Arthur
Studies on ultrastructure and morphogenesis in the Coenocytic alga, Caulerpa Sertularioides by Arun Kumar Mishra
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