Cell Division Practice Questions

Question 1

4 marks

A student falls and cuts their knee. Over the next few days the wound heals because new skin cells are produced.

(a)

Name the type of cell division that produces the new skin cells.

/ 1

(b)

A human skin cell contains $46$ chromosomes.

State the number of chromosomes in each of the two daughter cells produced when this cell divides.

/ 1

(c)

Other than the repair of tissues, give two ways in which mitosis is important to living organisms.

/ 2

Question 2

4 marks

(a)

Which is the correct order for the stages of the cell cycle?

A prophase → interphase → metaphase → anaphase → telophase
B interphase → metaphase → prophase → telophase → anaphase
C interphase → prophase → metaphase → anaphase → telophase
D interphase → prophase → anaphase → metaphase → telophase

/ 1

(b)

Name the stage of the cell cycle in which the DNA is replicated.

/ 1

(c)

Name the stage of mitosis in which the chromosomes line up across the middle (equator) of the cell.

/ 1

(d)

Describe what happens during cytokinesis.

/ 1

Question 3

3 marks

Cancer is a disease caused by changes in cells.

(a)

Which of these describes a tumour?

A a single cell that has lost its nucleus
B a mass of cells produced by uncontrolled cell division
C a group of cells that have all stopped dividing
D a cell that has divided to form four daughter cells

/ 1

(b)

Name the type of cell division taking place in the cells of a tumour.

/ 1

(c)

State one way in which cancer cells are different from normal body cells.

/ 1

Question 0

4 marks

Figure 1 shows four cells from a growing animal tissue. Each cell is at a different stage of mitosis. The cells are labelled A, B, C and D.

(a)

Name the stage of mitosis shown in cell A.

/ 1

(b)

Give the letter of the cell that is in prophase.

/ 1

(c)

Write the letters of the four cells in the correct order, starting with the earliest stage.

/ 1

(d)

Describe what is happening to the chromosomes in cell B.

/ 1

Question 0

5 marks

A scientist grows plant cells in a nutrient solution. One single cell is added to the solution. Each cell in the solution divides by mitosis once every $20$ hours.

(a)

Calculate the number of cells present after $5$ days.

.............................................................. cells

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(b)

A cell of this plant contains $14$ chromosomes.

State the number of chromosomes in each of the cells present after $5$ days.

/ 1

(c)

Explain why all the cells produced in the nutrient solution are genetically identical to the original cell.

/ 2

Question 0

6 marks

A student measured the time spent in each stage of the cell cycle by cells in the tip of a growing root. The results are shown in the table.

Stage of the cell cycle	Time taken in minutes
interphase	660
prophase	54
metaphase	14
anaphase	4
telophase	8
total	740

(a)

Calculate the percentage of the cell cycle spent in interphase.

Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

.............................................................. %

/ 2

(b)

Explain why interphase takes much longer than the other stages of the cell cycle.

/ 2

(c)

The student looked at $200$ cells from this root tip under a microscope.

Estimate the number of these cells that would be in metaphase.

.............................................................. cells

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Question 0

5 marks

Hydra is a small freshwater animal. It can reproduce asexually by budding. A small bud grows out of the side of the parent Hydra, and later breaks off to form a new Hydra.

(a)

Name the type of cell division that produces the cells of the bud.

/ 1

(b)

Explain why the new Hydra is genetically identical to the parent Hydra.

/ 2

(c)

Describe what happens inside a cell of the bud during anaphase.

/ 2

Question 0

6 marks

A cancer begins when a single cell in the body changes so that it no longer controls its own cell division. In one investigation, cancer cells taken from a patient were grown in the laboratory. Under these conditions each cancer cell divided once every $24$ hours.

(a)

Explain how changes in a single cell can lead to the formation of a tumour.

/ 3

(b)

One cancer cell was placed in a flask of growth medium.

Calculate the minimum number of days needed for this cell to produce a total of more than one million ( $1\,000\,000$ ) cells.

.............................................................. days

/ 3

Key Concepts in Biology

Cells & Control

Genetics

Natural Selection & Genetic Modification

Health, Disease & the Development of Medicines

Plant Structures & their Functions

Animal Coordination, Control & Homeostasis

Exchange & Transport in Animals

Ecosystems & Material Cycles

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