Which process is used for cytokinesis in animal cells?

In animal cells, cytokinesis is primarily achieved through the formation of a contractile ring. This process involves the assembly of a ring of actin and myosin filaments just beneath the cell membrane, which constricts the cell's center, effectively pinching the cell into two separate daughter cells. As the contractile ring contracts, it creates a cleavage furrow that deepens until the two cells are completely separated.

This mechanism is distinct from processes such as phragmoplast formation and cell plate formation, which are used in plant cells during cytokinesis. Plant cells cannot pinch apart due to their rigid cell walls, so they instead build a new cell wall (cell plate) across the middle of the dividing cell. Cytoplasmic streaming refers to the movement of the cytoplasm within a cell and does not directly relate to the physical separation of the two daughter cells. Therefore, the contractile ring formation is the correct and specific mechanism for cytokinesis in animal cells.