A plane choice: coordinating timing and orientation of cell division during plant development

Development requires precise cell positioning and tissue organization to generate functional organs and viable organisms. Plant development depends on precisely oriented cell divisions, which are typically classified as either asymmetric or symmetric. Asymmetric (formative) cell divisions give rise to cells with two distinct fates; resulting daughter cells often have different sizes or shapes. Symmetric (proliferative) cell divisions give rise to two identical daughter cells. The orientation of the division plane in both symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions is tightly controlled by a combination of cues both intrinsic, occurring within the cell; and extrinsic, originating outside the cell.