SYNCYTIUM and COENOCYTIUM @NCERTOFFICIAL

Syncytium and coenocytium are both multi-nucleated cell structures, but they form through different mechanisms: syncytium develops when multiple cells fuse together, creating a single cytoplasmic mass with multiple nuclei (e.g., skeletal muscle fibers, osteoclasts, placental cells), while coenocytium forms when a single cell undergoes repeated nuclear division without cell division, resulting in multiple nuclei within one continuous cytoplasm (e.g., fungal hyphae, slime mold plasmodium, and the liquid endosperm of coconut).