Biology 9700 · AS & A Level
Cells as the basic units of living organisms
100 practice questions on Cells as the basic units of living organisms, with worked solutions and instant marking.
Within a cell, a damaged mitochondrion may be wrapped by a membrane to make a vesicle. What occurs following fusion of a lysosome with this vesicle?
Feb/March 2016
Which structures are found in a cell that causes cholera?
Feb/March 2016
The diagram illustrates the ultrastructure of a typical animal cell. Which structure synthesises and moves lipids?
Feb/March 2017
Some cell features are shown below. 1 cytoplasm 2 cell surface membrane 3 ribosomes Which of these features are present in both animal and prokaryotic cells?
Feb/March 2017
Within which of these organelles is ATP produced?
Feb/March 2017
Which row correctly pairs each cell structure with its function?
Feb/March 2018
Which animal cells would contain the most extensive Golgi bodies?
Feb/March 2018
Which structures occur in both chloroplasts and mitochondria?
Feb/March 2019
Which row correctly indicates the presence of a cell structure in typical plant cells and in typical prokaryotic cells?
Feb/March 2021
In which parts of a cell are ribosomes found? 1 chloroplast 2 mitochondrion 3 Golgi body 4 cytoplasm
Feb/March 2021
What diameter range is usually found in prokaryotic cells?
Feb/March 2021
Microvilli and root hairs are distinctive features of certain cell types. Which row correctly identifies some characteristics of a microvillus and a root hair?
Feb/March 2022
What characteristics do prokaryote cells, chloroplasts and mitochondria have?
Feb/March 2022
How does the surface area to volume ratio of a cube change if the length of each side is doubled?
Feb/March 2023
Cellulose, lignin and suberin are parts of different plant cell walls. Several descriptions of these cell wall components are given below. Which row accurately links three of the descriptions to the correct cell wall components?
Feb/March 2023
Which of the following statements are true for chloroplasts and also for mitochondria?
Feb/March 2023
The electron micrograph displays some cells taken from a root. Which cell structure is not normally present in cells from a root?
Feb/March 2023
Some stains can be used to identify cell structures in living cells. When a weak solution of one stain is added, the entire cell turns blue. The blue colour quickly fades from most cell structures. The cell structures that release energy remain blue. Which kind of cell structure is most likely to remain blue?
Feb/March 2024
The diagram illustrates four biological features. Which of these biological features occur in typical prokaryotes?
Feb/March 2024
Which row indicates features present in dicotyledonous plant cells and also in typical bacterial cells? Key: $\checkmark$ = present in dicotyledonous plant cells and also in typical bacterial cells $\times$ = absent from at least one of these two cell types
Feb/March 2024
One theory suggests that mitochondria and chloroplasts began as free-living prokaryotes. It is believed that, millions of years ago, these free-living prokaryotes entered larger cells by endocytosis and, rather than being broken down, became working organelles. Which characteristics of mitochondria and chloroplasts provide evidence for this theory?
Feb/March 2025
Which row correctly pairs each description with cilia or root hairs?
Feb/March 2025
Which row states the correct function for each cell structure?
Feb/March 2025
Which cell structures are found in typical prokaryotic cells?
Feb/March 2025
X-ray analysis of fossilised cells located in rocks in central India that date from $1.6$ billion years ago has shown several characteristics. Which two characteristics, considered together, give the strongest support for the idea that the cells are plant cells?
Feb/March 2025
The electron micrograph displays an organelle present in some cells of many multicellular organisms. Which row indicates the structures that would be expected in cells containing this organelle?
Feb/March 2025
The diagram illustrates part of the nitrogen cycle. Which number sequence correctly indicates the roles played by different kinds of microorganism in the nitrogen cycle?
May/June 2010
Which structures occur in both animal cells and plant cells?
May/June 2010
Which features would indicate that a cell is eukaryotic?
May/June 2010
Which observations indicate that a cell is eukaryotic?
May/June 2010
Which structures occur in both animal cells and plant cells? 1. centriole 2. lysosome 3. nucleolus 4. vacuole
May/June 2010
The diagram illustrates a section of the nitrogen cycle. Which sequence of numbers correctly indicates the roles of the different kinds of microorganism in the nitrogen cycle?
May/June 2010
Two animal species occur in the same forest-and-grassland region. During spring and summer, both feed on the same plant material. Yet in autumn and winter, one eats nuts in the forest while the other feeds on roots in the grassland. The same predator hunts both species. The numbers of the root-eating animals are decreased the most by this, but they bounce back more quickly because they reproduce at a faster rate. What conclusion can be made about these two animal species?
May/June 2010
Which structures can be found in a typical plant cell?
May/June 2011
Which type of cell will have the greatest proportion of structures enclosed by a single membrane?
May/June 2011
The endoplasmic reticulum in cells forms membranous sacs that contain products of metabolism. In what part of the cell are these products used?
May/June 2011
What term is used for all the organisms in an area and the ways they interact with their environment?
May/June 2011
Which of the following structures occur in photosynthetic prokaryotes?
May/June 2011
Which kind of cell would contain the largest proportion of single membrane-bound structures?
May/June 2011
What structures can be found in a typical plant cell?
May/June 2011
Which structures are always found in prokaryote cells?
May/June 2012
All of the items below are characteristics of eukaryotic cells. 1 chloroplast 2 endoplasmic reticulum 3 lysosome 4 mitochondrion 5 nucleus Which of these possess a double membrane?
May/June 2012
What does the ecological term community mean?
May/June 2012
The diagram illustrates how energy moves through an ecosystem. Photosynthesis is the gross productivity. Producers lose some energy through respiration, and the energy that remains is the net productivity. This may also be written as an equation: $\text{net productivity} = \text{gross productivity} - \text{respiration}$ Some of the net productivity is transferred to herbivores. Which calculation shows the proportion of net productivity transferred to herbivores?
May/June 2012
Which size range would encompass most eukaryotic cells?
May/June 2012
Which structure occurs in every eukaryotic cell but is absent from prokaryotic cells?
May/June 2012
Why was just $4\%$ of the sunlight’s energy able to be fixed by producers in photosynthesis?
May/June 2012
Which structures are always found in prokaryote cells?
May/June 2012
All of the following are features of eukaryotic cells. Which of them are surrounded by a double membrane?
May/June 2012
In the nitrogen cycle, microorganisms take part in nitrogen fixation, nitrification and denitrification. Which soil conditions are suitable for each process?
May/June 2013
Which of the following statements about energy flow in ecosystems are correct?
May/June 2013
What characteristics allow an organism to be recognised as a prokaryote?
May/June 2013
The diagram depicts an electronmicrograph of a typical animal cell. What is the function of the membrane system marked X?
May/June 2013
Which organism uses energy to manufacture its own food supply from inorganic compounds?
May/June 2013
The electron micrograph displays part of two cells. Which labelled structures allow these cells to be recognised as eukaryotic?
May/June 2013
The diagram illustrates the transfer of energy in a food web. Which option represents the decomposers?
May/June 2013
What is one function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum?
May/June 2013
In a cell, where are cisternae located?
May/June 2014
Which cells or tissues have been matched incorrectly with their function?
May/June 2014
In what order of size are cell structures arranged?
May/June 2014
The diagram shows several similarities among chloroplasts, mitochondria and prokaryotes. Which row is correct?
May/June 2014
An electron micrograph of a plant cell is shown in the diagram. What substances are present in structures X, Y and Z?
May/June 2014
The diagram illustrates several similarities among chloroplasts, mitochondria and prokaryotes. Which row is correct?
May/June 2014
The diameters of living cells show a wide range. A typical eukaryotic cell has a diameter of $1.5 \times 10^{1}\,\mu\text{m}$. A typical prokaryotic cell has a diameter of $7.5 \times 10^{2}\,\text{nm}$. From these values, determine the greatest number of each cell type that could be arranged in a straight line $1\,\text{cm}$ long?
May/June 2014
To complete the sentence below, which process and cell structure are correct? Cells with a high rate of ……1…… tend to contain many ……2…… .
May/June 2014
A cell that secretes glycoproteins is given radioactively-labelled glucose, and this is detected in the cytoplasm first. In which organelle would radioactively-labelled glucose be detected next?
May/June 2014
The diagram illustrates several similarities among chloroplasts, mitochondria and typical prokaryotes. Which row is the correct one?
May/June 2014
Which description is accurate?
May/June 2015
The diagram presents a high-power drawing of a bacterium. Which three components are present in both this bacterium and an animal cell?
May/June 2015
Which soil would contain the fewest denitrifying bacteria?
May/June 2015
Which structures are present in typical eukaryotic cells?
May/June 2015
What diameter does a typical plant cell have?
May/June 2015
What characteristics of these cells make them suitable for their function?
May/June 2015
Which structure has been identified correctly?
May/June 2015
Which function corresponds to the description of the cell structure?
May/June 2015
What structures are present in both mitochondria and typical prokaryotic cells?
May/June 2015
Which of the following comparisons between a phloem companion cell and a B-lymphocyte is correct?
May/June 2015
The diagram shows part of the nitrogen cycle. Which process do nitrifying bacteria carry out?
May/June 2015
Which structures in plant cells are enclosed by a double membrane?
May/June 2015
What is the diameter of a typical prokaryote, for example Streptococcus?
May/June 2015
Which locations of ribosomes in a typical eukaryotic cell are correct?
May/June 2016
What structures are present in both chloroplasts and typical prokaryotic cells?
May/June 2016
Which of the following statements about both mitochondria and chloroplasts are correct?
May/June 2016
What size range would encompass most eukaryotic cells?
May/June 2016
A scientist performed an experiment to separate the organelles in an animal cell according to mass. First, the scientist combined the cells with a buffer solution that had the same water potential as the cells. The cells were then broken apart with a blender so that the organelles were released. The resulting mixture was filtered and then placed in a centrifuge at a speed sufficient to separate the heaviest organelle. This organelle moved to the bottom, where it formed a solid pellet, 1. The liquid remaining above pellet 1 was transferred into a clean centrifuge tube and spun in the centrifuge at a higher speed to separate the next heaviest organelle. This organelle also sank to the bottom, producing a solid pellet, 2. He carried out this process twice more to produce pellet 3 and pellet 4, with each pellet containing one organelle. What function does the organelle in pellet 4 carry out?
May/June 2016
Which of the following statements are correct?
May/June 2016
Which organelles are needed to make lysosomes that contain hydrolytic enzymes?
May/June 2016
Which row shows the correct labels for the diagram illustrated?
May/June 2016
Goblet cells occur in the trachea. Which organelles would be present in large numbers in a goblet cell?
May/June 2016
Which features are present in both chloroplasts and mitochondria?
May/June 2016
The electron micrograph displays part of two cells. Which labelled features show that these cells are eukaryotic?
May/June 2017
A scientist performed an experiment to separate the organelles in an animal cell according to mass. The scientist combined the cells with a buffer solution that had the same water potential as the cells and then broke open the cells. The mixture was centrifuged several times to produce pellet 1, pellet 2, pellet 3 and pellet 4, with each pellet containing one organelle. What is the function of the organelle obtained in pellet 3?
May/June 2017
Which organelles are surrounded by a single phospholipid bilayer and contain hydrolytic enzymes?
May/June 2017
Which structures are present in chloroplasts and mitochondria?
May/June 2017
In which cell structure are cisternae located? 1 endoplasmic reticulum 2 Golgi body 3 mitochondrion
May/June 2017
Which of the following statements is correct?
May/June 2017
In both typical eukaryotic cells and typical prokaryotic cells, which structures are present? 1 $70\text{S}$ ribosomes 2 $80\text{S}$ ribosomes 3 circular DNA
May/June 2017
Some cell features are shown below. 1 cell wall 2 cell surface membrane 3 ribosomes Which of these features are present in both plant cells and prokaryotic cells?
May/June 2018
Which type of cell has the greatest proportion of cell structures surrounded by a single membrane?
May/June 2018
The table lists different structures that may be present in cells. Which row shows structures that could be present in the root cells of a plant?
May/June 2018