Determinate cleavage is characteristic of protostomes . As illustrated below, in species with determinate cleavage, after the intitial cell division the fate of the resulting daughter cells is determined -- they can only develop into sp ecific tissues, not the whole organisms.
Indeterminate cleavage is characteristics of deuterostomes . As illustrated below, in species with indeterminate cleavage, after the initial cell division the fate of the resulting daughter cells is not determined -- each has the potent ial to develop into an entire organism. Sometimes this occurs; resulting individuals are genetically identical (in humans, they are called identical twins).
Return to information on protostomes
Return to information on deuterostomes
Return to introduction to characteristics used to in animal classification