Past Exam Questions

Question 1

What type of microscope is used in school laboratories to observe cells during mitosis?

Answer 1

Light microscope

Question 2

Give two observable events of prophase

Answer 2

1. Chromatin starts to contract
2. Chromosomes become visible as double-stranded structures held together by a centromere
3. The nucleolus disappears
4. Spindle fibres appear in the cytoplasm
5. Nuclear membrane starts to break down

Question 3

Describe how an animal cell divides in two

Answer 3

A cleavage furrow appears around the cell and lines up with the position occupied by the equator during metaphase
The cleavage furrow becomes deeper until it eventually divides the cytoplasm and splits the cell

Question 4

Describe how a plant cell divides in two

Answer 4

A small number of membrane-enclosed sacs called vesicles form and gather in the area between the two nuclei
The vesicles form a cell plate
The cell plate enlarges and its membranes join with the cell membrane of the original cell
The cell plate then forms two cell walls, one for each of the daughter cells

Question 5

Define mitosis

Answer 5

A form of nuclear division in which one nucleus divides to form two nuclei

Question 6

State two ways in which mitosis differs from meiosis

Answer 6

Mitosis produces two new cells while meiosis produces four new cells
Mitosis produces identical cells while there is variation between the cells produced during meiosis

Question 7

Explain the term cancer

Answer 7

A group of disorders in which certain cells lose their ability to control both the rate of mitosis and the number of times mitosis takes place

Question 8

Explain the term diploid

Answer 8

A cell which has two sets of chromosomes i.e. it has two of each type of chromosome in the nucleus

Question 9

What is the function of mitosis in unicellular organisms?

Answer 9

Asexual reproduction

Question 10

What is the function of mitosis in multicellular organisms?

Answer 10

Growth and repair of cells

Question 11

What term is used to describe the long stage of the cell cycle when cell division is not occurring?

Answer 11

Interphase

Question 12

Name two types of molecule that are produced in the cell during interphase?

Answer 12

Nucleic acid e.g. DNA

Protein

Question 13

Name one organelle that is replicated during interphase

Answer 13

Chloroplast

Question 14

Give any two changes which have occurred in the cell by the end of interphase

Answer 14

Chromosomes are duplicated

Spindle fibres are formed

Question 15

Suggest why mature human red blood cells do not undergo cell division

Answer 15

They do not have a nucleus

Question 16

True or false.

Meiosis is an important source of variation

Answer 16

True

Question 17

True or false

Mitosis occurs in mature red blood cells in humans

Answer 17

False

Question 18

True or False

During mitosis the nuclear membrane temporarily disappears

Answer 18

True

Question 19

True or False

Meiosis gives rise to the haploid condition

Answer 19

True

Question 20

True or False

In multicellular organisms mitosis functions primarily in growth

Answer 20

True

Question 21

True or False

In plants, a cell plate forms during telophase of mitosis

Answer 21

True

Question 22

True or False

The human zygote divides by meiosis

Answer 22

False

Question 23

True or False

Single-celled organisms use meiosis for asexual reproduction

Answer 23

False

Question 24

True or False

In telophase of mitosis, a cleavage furrow forms in plant cells

Answer 24

False

Question 25

True or False | When a cell is not dividing it is said to be in prophase

Answer 25

False

Question 26

True or False | The nuclear membrane disappears in the early part of mitosis

Answer 26

True

Question 27

True or False | Centromeres give rise to the nuclear spindle

Answer 27

False

Question 28

True or False | Mitosis is a source of variation

Answer 28

False

Question 29

True or False | In multicellular organisms mitosis is primarily used for growth

Answer 29

True

Question 30

What name is applied to the period of the cell cycle in which division is not taking place?

Answer 30

Interphase

Question 31

Give a cellular process that occurs during interphase

Answer 31

Photosynthesis or respiration

Question 32

What term is used for the group of disorders in which control has been lost over the rate of mitosis?

Answer 32

Cancer

Question 33

Suggest a possible cause of cancer

Answer 33

Exposure to carcinogens such as Ultraviolet Rays or cigarette smoke

Question 34

Name the stage of mitosis in which the chromosomes are located at the equator of the cell and before they begin to separate

Answer 34

Metaphase

Question 35

To what are the chromosomes attached to during metaphase?

Answer 35

Spindle fibres

Question 36

Towards the end of mitosis, in what type of cell does a cell plate form?

Answer 36

Plant cells

Question 37

What are the observable features of anaphase?

Answer 37

1. The spindle fibres contract causing the centromeres to split 2. One strand/chromosome from each double-stranded chromosome is pulled to opposite poles of the cell.

Question 38

Give one location where mitosis occurs in flowering plants

Answer 38

Root or shoot tips where growth is needed

Question 39

Give the names of the two processes involving DNA which take place during interphase

Answer 39

Uncoiling Transcription Duplication

Question 40

List the four stages of mitosis

Answer 40

Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase

Question 41

In which stage of mitosis would you expect to see the spindle fibres contracting?

Answer 41

Anaphase

Question 42

Give a role of chromosomes

Answer 42

Carry genes which are the units of inheritance and carry the code for the formation of proteins

Question 43

Give one function of meiosis

Answer 43

To produce gametes i.e. egg and sperm