A-Level Biology Topic 5: The Mitotic Cell Cycle MCQs – 30 Practice Questions with Answers (Cambridge 9700)

Free practice for Cambridge A-Level Biology 9700 on the mitotic cell cycle, with every question followed by a short explanation to help you check your understanding.

Chromosomes and the Cell Cycle

Q1. What is a chromosome made of, in the terms used at this level?

  • (A) RNA wrapped around cellulose fibres
  • (B) DNA associated with histone proteins
  • (C) Lipid molecules arranged in a double layer
  • (D) A single strand of messenger RNA
Show Answer

Answer: B – A chromosome consists of DNA wound around histone proteins.

Q2. What are sister chromatids?

  • (A) Two identical chromosome copies
  • (B) Two different chromosomes that carry unrelated genes
  • (C) The two ends of a single DNA molecule
  • (D) Chromosomes found only in sex cells
Show Answer

Answer: A – Sister chromatids are the two identical copies formed when a chromosome replicates.

Q3. Where are sister chromatids held together?

  • (A) At the nuclear pore
  • (B) At the spindle pole
  • (C) At the cell surface membrane
  • (D) At the centromere
Show Answer

Answer: D – Sister chromatids are joined at the centromere.

Q4. What are telomeres?

  • (A) Protein fibres that pull chromosomes apart
  • (B) Pores in the nuclear envelope
  • (C) Repeated sequences at chromosome ends
  • (D) Enzymes that copy DNA
Show Answer

Answer: C – Telomeres are the repeated sequences at the ends of chromosomes.

Q5. Why are telomeres important during DNA replication?

  • (A) They protect the ends of chromosomes
  • (B) They join the two strands of DNA together
  • (C) They speed up the growth of the cell wall
  • (D) They carry amino acids to ribosomes
Show Answer

Answer: A – Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes so genes are not lost during replication.

Q6. During which phase of interphase does DNA replication take place?

  • (A) G1 phase only
  • (B) Cytokinesis
  • (C) Telophase
  • (D) S phase
Show Answer

Answer: D – DNA is replicated during the S phase of interphase.

Q7. What happens during the G1 and G2 phases of interphase?

  • (A) Chromosomes line up at the equator
  • (B) The cell grows and prepares
  • (C) The cytoplasm divides into two cells
  • (D) Sister chromatids separate to opposite poles
Show Answer

Answer: B – G1 and G2 are growth phases in which the cell grows and prepares for division.

Q8. What is the correct order of the main parts of the mitotic cell cycle?

  • (A) Mitosis, cytokinesis, interphase
  • (B) Cytokinesis, interphase, mitosis
  • (C) Interphase, mitosis, cytokinesis
  • (D) Interphase, cytokinesis, mitosis
Show Answer

Answer: C – The cycle runs through interphase, then mitosis, then cytokinesis.

Q9. What does cytokinesis produce?

  • (A) Two daughter cells
  • (B) A single cell with twice the normal DNA
  • (C) Four genetically different cells
  • (D) A cell with no nucleus
Show Answer

Answer: A – Cytokinesis divides the cytoplasm so two daughter cells are formed.

Q10. Why is mitosis important for growth in a multicellular organism?

  • (A) It halves the number of chromosomes
  • (B) It produces cells with new gene combinations
  • (C) It allows fertilisation to take place
  • (D) It adds identical cells for growth
Show Answer

Answer: D – Mitosis adds genetically identical cells, allowing a multicellular organism to grow.

Stages of Mitosis

Q11. What happens to chromosomes during prophase?

  • (A) They line up at the equator
  • (B) They condense and become visible
  • (C) They decondense into chromatin
  • (D) They fuse with the cell membrane
Show Answer

Answer: B – During prophase chromosomes condense and become visible under the microscope.

Q12. What happens to the nuclear envelope during prophase?

  • (A) It thickens permanently
  • (B) It moves to the cell surface
  • (C) It breaks down
  • (D) It divides into two envelopes at once
Show Answer

Answer: C – The nuclear envelope breaks down during prophase.

Q13. During metaphase, where do chromosomes line up?

  • (A) At the equator of the cell
  • (B) At one pole of the cell
  • (C) Just inside the cell surface membrane
  • (D) Inside the nucleolus
Show Answer

Answer: A – In metaphase chromosomes line up at the equator, attached to the spindle.

Q14. What happens during anaphase?

  • (A) Chromosomes condense for the first time
  • (B) The nuclear envelope reforms
  • (C) A cell plate forms across the cell
  • (D) Sister chromatids separate to opposite poles
Show Answer

Answer: D – In anaphase sister chromatids are pulled apart to opposite poles.

Q15. What is the role of the spindle during mitosis?

  • (A) It copies the DNA strands
  • (B) It moves chromosomes during division
  • (C) It builds the cell wall
  • (D) It produces energy for the cell
Show Answer

Answer: B – Spindle fibres move chromosomes during mitosis.


Q16. What happens during telophase?

  • (A) Chromosomes first become visible
  • (B) Sister chromatids begin to separate
  • (C) Nuclear envelopes reform
  • (D) DNA replication begins again
Show Answer

Answer: C – During telophase a nuclear envelope reforms around each set of chromosomes.

Q17. A photomicrograph shows chromosomes lined up across the middle of a cell. Which stage is this?

  • (A) Metaphase
  • (B) Interphase
  • (C) Telophase
  • (D) Cytokinesis
Show Answer

Answer: A – Chromosomes lined up at the equator identify metaphase.

Q18. A photomicrograph shows two distinct groups of chromosomes moving apart. Which stage is this?

  • (A) Prophase
  • (B) Interphase
  • (C) Metaphase
  • (D) Anaphase
Show Answer

Answer: D – Two groups of chromosomes moving apart identify anaphase.

Q19. How does cytokinesis differ in a plant cell compared with an animal cell?

  • (A) Plant cells divide by budding, animal cells do not
  • (B) Plant cells lose their nuclei, animal cells keep theirs
  • (C) A cell plate forms in plant cells
  • (D) Plant cells skip mitosis altogether
Show Answer

Answer: C – Plant cytokinesis forms a cell plate, whereas animal cytokinesis pinches the membrane inwards.

Q20. After mitosis and cytokinesis, how do the daughter cells compare with the parent cell?

  • (A) They have half the chromosomes
  • (B) They are genetically identical to the parent cell
  • (C) They have twice the chromosomes
  • (D) They carry a different set of genes
Show Answer

Answer: B – Mitosis produces daughter cells genetically identical to the parent cell.

Stem Cells, Repair and Uncontrolled Division

Q21. Which of these is a role of mitosis in an adult animal?

  • (A) Replacement of damaged or dead cells
  • (B) Production of gametes
  • (C) Reduction of chromosome number
  • (D) Formation of a zygote
Show Answer

Answer: A – Mitosis replaces damaged or dead cells in adult tissues.

Q22. What is the role of stem cells in tissue repair?

  • (A) They prevent all cell division
  • (B) They fuse with damaged cells
  • (C) They carry oxygen to the tissue
  • (D) They divide by mitosis to replace lost cells
Show Answer

Answer: D – Stem cells divide by mitosis to provide new cells for replacement and repair.

Q23. In which process does mitosis produce new individuals?

  • (A) Sexual reproduction in mammals
  • (B) Fertilisation
  • (C) Asexual reproduction
  • (D) Pollination
Show Answer

Answer: C – Asexual reproduction uses mitosis to produce genetically identical offspring.

Q24. What can result from uncontrolled cell division?

  • (A) A reduction in chromosome number
  • (B) The formation of a tumour
  • (C) The loss of all stem cells
  • (D) Immediate cell death in every case
Show Answer

Answer: B – Uncontrolled division can produce a mass of cells known as a tumour.

Q25. A skin wound heals as new cells fill the damaged area. Which process mainly provides those cells?

  • (A) Mitosis
  • (B) Meiosis
  • (C) Fertilisation
  • (D) Photosynthesis
Show Answer

Answer: A – Repair of tissues by cell replacement relies on mitosis.

Q26. Why must DNA be replicated before mitosis?

  • (A) So the cell can shrink
  • (B) So chromosomes can leave the cell
  • (C) So the spindle can dissolve
  • (D) So each daughter cell receives a full copy
Show Answer

Answer: D – Replication before mitosis ensures each daughter cell receives a full copy of the DNA.

Q27. Which statement about daughter cells after mitosis is correct?

  • (A) They differ in chromosome number
  • (B) They are genetically identical to each other
  • (C) They contain only half the genes
  • (D) They cannot divide again
Show Answer

Answer: B – Daughter cells from mitosis are genetically identical to each other.

Q28. During which stage do chromatids separate, and what structure moves them?

  • (A) Prophase, moved by the nuclear envelope
  • (B) Metaphase, moved by the cell membrane
  • (C) Anaphase, moved by the spindle
  • (D) Telophase, moved by the nucleolus
Show Answer

Answer: C – Chromatids separate in anaphase and are moved by the spindle.

Q29. A cell in interphase is observed, then later the same lineage shows two identical cells. What happened between the observations?

  • (A) The cell fused with another cell
  • (B) The cell underwent meiosis
  • (C) The cell lost its chromosomes
  • (D) The cell completed mitosis and cytokinesis
Show Answer

Answer: D – Mitosis followed by cytokinesis turns one cell into two identical cells.

Q30. Which sequence correctly orders the stages of mitosis?

  • (A) Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
  • (B) Metaphase, prophase, telophase, anaphase
  • (C) Anaphase, telophase, prophase, metaphase
  • (D) Telophase, anaphase, metaphase, prophase
Show Answer

Answer: A – Mitosis proceeds through prophase, metaphase, anaphase and then telophase.

Work through any questions you missed again, then revise those areas before moving on to the next topic.